I remember going back to Edgbaston for the fifth rescheduled Test between England and India in 2022 when Virat Kohli grinned at James Anderson as they walked off the field together. Kohli just informed the Burley-born about the pleasure he had on the final battle out in the middle.
“Why, are you retiring?” quipped Anderson, stunned by the entire discussion that the former Indian captain made on that occasion. Nearly three years later, the Delhi-born stamped on his promise with an Instagram post, just five weeks before the next England trip.
It’s a farewell to Test cricket from one of the best, who was always determined and optimistic to grow the dead format with his passion and energy. His farewell speech is proof of how he has connected it with the growth of life.
“Tested me, shaped me, and taught me lessons I will carry for life.” Kohli’s words reminded me of the interview of the former West Indies pacer, Michael Holding, who addressed how Test cricket offers one the undesired mirror image of life.
Virat Kohli’s passion for Test cricket
Back in 2019 with an average of well over 50 with nearly seven and half thousands runs, one hardly predicted the unwanted dip Virat would experienced in the latter stage of his career. But his overall figures of 9230 runs in 123 games at an average of 46.85 stands at 19th position across all the players participating in the format.
That’s a decent record with 30 centuries and 31 half-centuries. The upcoming generation will rightly arise question on Kohli’s greatness. It’s the responsibility of the current era to prove them how the veteran on his lone shoulders carried the format, not only for India but for the entire world.
It’s the T20-loving era. For a seasoned group of fans, for whom the calendar is caged for nine weeks with franchise cricket, it’s hard to understand the feisty nature of Test cricket. But Virat turned even their attention to the red-ball format. That’s the biggest plus he had on the format.
And for India? You open the social media and will get the videos of Michael Clarke, Kevin Pietersen, Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, Sir Andrew Strauss, and Sir Alastair Cook thrashing the Indian side with truck-loaded runs on the board.
Then they this little fellow from Delhi, who had only one aim of picking 20 wickets, irrespective of how the surface would behave, thanks to his rocketing relationship with coach Ravi Shastri.
“I don’t mind compromising the averages as long as we are winning Test matches. Our main concern is the result. We are not playing for records or numbers and averages.” Virat Kohli narrated after the 2015 Nagpur Test against South Africa when the Proteas made 79 in their first innings.
“If you don’t take 20 wickets, you can have an average of 55, it doesn’t matter. These small contributions and team wins are more important than having an average of 50 or above.” Captain Kohli delivered.
Unmatchable Virat Kohli Test peak
The global batting average in the longest format in 2018 was 26, which was the lowest since 1959. But Virat batted in the moon that year with an average of 55, scoring over 1300 runs, including three decade-best centuries at Newlands, Edgbaston and Optus Stadium.
So what was his peak then? From the start of October in 2016 to the start of August in 2018, Kohli average of 80.93 in the longest format with 2428 runs in 34 innings, shouldering 10 centuries and five fifties at the best score of 243 runs in Antigua. The next best in the list was Steve Smith with an average of 67.74.
His record of beating his career-best Test record 15 times in the history of the format proves his mental strength and desire to grow better in every week of the game. In the history of the format for 148 years, only one player has scored 1000 runs with an average of 75 in consecutive years. That’s Virat Kohli for you, who managed 1215 at 75.93 in 2016, followed by 1059 at 75.64.
Missing Kohli’s Test captaincy
Will I miss Virat Kohli the better? Perhaps!! Have I missed Virat Kohli, the captain? Probably more than anything else. Those seven years under his captaincy, India was a different side, and I am not someone who judges a side based on results. It’s the character they showed.
In 2014, during the Adelaide Test, no one believed India would go for the huge fourth innings target Australia set for the tourists on the fifth day. But Kohli reckoned how he told the players to go for the kill at least to see if they have the ability. They fell short, but that was just the start of an incredible era.
Going back to the 2018 Bull Ring, the pitch was nasty. One ball from a difference of an inch on the surface was either going down at the knee height or flying over the keeper’s head. South Africa, despite being the home side, complained. But India had no issue.
And then my favorite 2022 Lord’s Test. I have told it many times. There are games which mentally tire the fans, watching the battles. At the end of that game, I was drained out and felt of requiring a break of at least 10 days. Virat Kohli’s speech of making the 60 overs feel like hell for the England batters and then to match the same intensity was just different.
Under him, India built a different pace-bowling academy. He would have beaten the bowler in celebrating the wicket and was always there with them in the inner battles of the Test match.
Virat Kohli leaving in the sunset shadow
Failure is a fact of life for most athletes. If 2014 was the start, then 2018 was the cherry on the cake for Kohli’s England trip. He changed his technique and approach around the off stump, tackling the bowlers in every situation, and grew from an average of 13 to 60 with a rise of more than 450 runs in five Tests.
The last five years have been tough, with an average of 31 in 39 Tests with three centuries, but many factors worked behind that, including family, age, lifetime, and perhaps the captaincy blues. But the mental toll he had at the start of the career probably took the edge off his bat.
It’s a Test retirement. And I am always optimistic. He turned up for Delhi at the Arun Jaitley Stadium at the start of the year. Will he do it at least once more? If he does, I can guarantee the hard time the BCCI will have on the security arrangements for the Ranji Trophy.
Even if he doesn’t, no issues!! He has done enough for Test cricket. It will be a challenge to find another player who will cherish the format as their firstborn child. Has Test cricket seen its last fan of the game? Ask your heart!!
