Follow UsIt’s here. Whether you’re ready for it or not, it’s here. Virat Kohli will never don Test whites again. That’s a fact we’ve to deal with. And more importantly, that’s something Test cricket will have to deal with.
Kohli gave a new lease of life to a format dying a slow death. He didn’t just turn up the volume of Indian cricket, from a measly seventh ranking to the numero Uno side in the world, but also became the format’s biggest advocate. The brash West Delhi boy who was once projected to be the biggest limited-overs superstar, with his glitzy appeal, had the tenacity to make things bespoke his own way in whites. Centuries, Double-centuries, Wins, Thrills, Celebrations, and much more.
It was Kohli who converted casual T20 fans into Test loyalists, keeping them glued to TV screens for days as he stoically defended against Mitchell Johnson or shouldered arms to Dale Steyn. It’s ironic that the last image fans have of him is his struggle in Australia, which forced him into introspection and eventually into retirement with an average of 46. But the glory days hit much harder now that it’s gone.
'For 60 overs, they should feel hell out there'
That is passion written in red.
There is simply no cricketer in the world who is more revered than Virat Kohli. Surely, Sachin Tendulkar gave meaning to Indian fans, and MS Dhoni dazzled it with his wins and persona. But for a modern, aspirational India, Kohli was the embodiment of a dream - a perfect blend of ambition, aggression, and artistry.
In trying to achieve the meaning, Kohli found himself. Between 2012 to 2014, the formative years in which his career was taking shape, Kohli proved that the tide of Indian cricket could be turned. In Melbourne in 2011, when reporters hounded him for his failure, he was almost fighting off his natural instinct, but made sure when he returned for the 2014-15 BGT, no question about his ability could ever be asked. Try finding a more dominant tour of Australia by any foreign batter—ever!
In doing so, he ensured a fundamental shift in India’s attitude towards Test cricket. For a country that took pride in their batters and spinners, India became a pace bowling powerhouse. The likes of Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, and Umesh Yadav weren’t just dishing out deliveries, they were rewriting the old rules of cricket.
Which is why the 2018-19 Border-Gavaskar Trophy win is such a significant chapter for India. In a series where Kohli was not at his mega best, at least in comparison to the previous tour, there was a sense of efficacy around the Indian team.
Bumrah was just 11 months old in Test cricket and others had seen a fair share of failures in Australia in the past. But daunting as it may seem, India clawed with savage intensity to dominate the proceedings. A bruised Australia, with their pride in tatters, didn’t have an iota of an idea of what was about to hit them. Hit them it did, as India secured their first-ever Border-Gavaskar Trophy victory Down Under. India’s greatest achievement of this millennium? No doubt about that.
England was where Kohli’s resolve was tested for the first time, back in 2014. Kohli danced to the tunes of James Anderson, almost to the point of no return, but by working on his weaknesses and then registering 593 runs on the next tour, he virtually decimated the notion about his outside-off-stump struggles. It returned to catch him off guard again, but that never became the biggest bugbear when he had to prove his doubters wrong.
It was one of the consistent patterns in Kohli’s career that automatically made him a better leader. He was in-your-face aggressive, gave full power to his team, and never, for a second, made any excuses for failure. The change in mindset was Kohli’s biggest gift to Indian cricket.
“Anything I write for you, paji, will never truly capture what I feel or the impact you’ve had on me,” Shubman Gill wrote on his tribute. “From watching you bat when I was 13 and wondering how someone could bring that kind of energy to the field - to sharing the field with you and realizing no one else possibly can - you’ve not just inspired a generation, you’ve reshaped the mindset of millions.”
That summed up what Kohli means to Test cricket.
Yes, the average dipped. The centuries dried up. But the fire never did. For over a decade, Kohli didn’t just play Test cricket - he championed it, protected it, and fought for it. In doing so, he didn’t just extend its life. He gave it meaning.
And now that he's gone, there’s a void - not just in the Indian team, but in the soul of Test cricket itself. Because for all that Kohli took from the game, he gave back far more.
Test cricket owes Virat Kohli a huge debt of gratitude. It always will.