Virat Kohli will play his 100th Test when India play against Sri Lanka in Mohali. As a milestone, reaching such a ‘centenary’ may have lost innovation in the modern game (Kohli is the 12th Indian to reach this milestone), but its importance remains.
Playing 100 Tests demonstrates not only ability, but sustained excellence, not only exceptional physical stamina and fitness, but also mental fortitude and deep ambition, and generally takes a player from the very best to the great. Of course, Kohli had qualified in the last-mentioned category long back.
Fast-tracked into international cricket after making a huge impact at the Under-19 level, he was quick to show that he is at the highest level. Even when he got the India cap, there were Tendulkar, Sehwag, Gambhir, Dravid, Yuvraj, Laxman, Dhoni in the team but Kohli didn’t look out of his depth.
He was overly aggressive, which upset cricket purists, but there was no doubt that Kohli was out of the ordinary. He had the power to bat, his body language was strong, he loved to compete, he was belligerent, he had an insatiable hunger for runs, he had the passion to win.
He was also a keen listener and quick learner, squeezing every ounce of expertise from the aforementioned superiors into his dressing room, and faced others who practiced for hours to improve their batting and fielding.
Kohli just wanted to be the best. For this he was ready not only to take lessons from any field, but also to make personal sacrifices to achieve this ambition. The next big step in his development was how he physically transformed himself to take his performance to a different level.
The turning point in his career was the 2014–15 tour of Australia in which he scored nearly 700 runs in four Test matches. His counterattacks against the Australian bowlers on bouncy pitches were breathtaking.
For Kohli, this tour was going to be dramatic apart from his brilliant batting. Given the captaincy by default, with Dhoni missing a Test, then abruptly retiring during the tour, Kohli showed that he rejoiced at being distracted by the added responsibility.
Over the next few years, Kohli rapidly rose several notches as a batsman. His scintillating runs across all formats earned him wide recognition as being the best in the game. He was courageous and charismatic, exciting to watch and listen to, and soon became the biggest star in the sport.
Equally important was his development in leadership. As captain, Kohli made three important contributions that changed Indian cricket. He made fitness standards non-negotiable, prepared for a five-attack even if it meant increasing risk, and shifted the emphasis of bowling to pace when playing overseas.
India’s record abroad under Kohli is the most impressive for any captain. 2018 initially saw several setbacks in South Africa and England, but soon, the Indian team became the most feared game at home or away. At the same time, Kohli also became an ardent supporter of the primacy of Test cricket, which promoted the five-day format globally.
Unfortunately, the failure to win the ICC title turned out to be trouble for Kohli, and a weapon for skeptics to downplay his captaincy achievements, especially after his run-scoring slowdown in the last 28-30 months. In the last 5-6 months, the fallout with the powers that be in the BCCI turned into a serious crisis which saw Kohli lose the captaincy in all formats, voluntarily and otherwise.
The milestone of 100 Tests for Kohli is a touching time in his career. After 10 years of resounding success – with only the occasional failure – the final struggle for big scores over the past two years has stunned critics and fellow players, and spawned opponents.
In the past, Kohli has overcome obstacles and problems with sheer determination. Against Australia in 2011-12, he was on the verge of being ruled out after failures in the first two Tests. The half-century in the third and the first century in the fourth not only salvaged, but took his career forward.
In 2014, he came a cropper against England. His performance was so bad that Kohli almost thought of quitting the game. He gathered himself on time, let go of despair, worked on his fitness and technique and scored nearly 600 runs in the next series in England in 2018.
There is little evidence that Kohli has lost technique, or that he has completely lost his rhythm, so the absence of a big score is most likely due to a mind under pressure, luck would have left him. Is.
With young batsmen at risk of emerging from a prolonged ‘dry’ spell since 2019 and the hyper-competitive environment in Indian cricket, the onus is on Kohli to rediscover his mojo, overcome challengers and give his career a second wind. Is.
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