Published: May 12, 2025, 11:08 PM (IST)
Edited: May 12, 2025, 11:09 PM (IST)
The cricket in Australia, a place where Virat Kohli truly secured his greatness, has dome something great after it was announced that the Indian batting maestro is not going to trouble their bowlers in whites.
In the news room Down Under, there was a collective sigh combined with cheers and applauds as Virat Kohli had put an end to his glorious Test career after he tortured the Australian bowlers for more than a decade.
“For Australians, there was fascination with Kohli for his combination of incredible batting skill and spikiness on the field that reminded many of their own,” leading Australian daily Sydney Morning Herald said of the Indian icon.
“Kohli’s first series in Australia, in 2011-12, was an unexpectedly lopsided romp for the team led by Michael Clarke. In spite of the 4-0 scoreline, Kohli showed more defiance than many of his older contemporaries, capping it off with a century in Adelaide,” the newspaper added.
“He also gained some early infamy for flipping the bird at SCG spectators. This was the start of a running battle with Australian spectators that ended when Kohli made sandpaper gestures to the same crowd on what became his final day as a Test cricketer in January this year,” the newspaper said.
Virat Kohli was the most successful Test captain for India and had played in 123 matches- scored 9230 runs with 30 centuries, 31 half-centuries and an average of 46.85.
Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) highlighted the successful time of Virat Kohli as India’s Test captain, which even included a historic series win Down Under.
“His Test career will also be remembered fondly for his spell as captain between 2014 and 2022, winning 40 of his 68 Tests in charge to become the country’s most successful skipper in the format and fourth all-time in terms of victories behind South African Graeme Smith (53) and Australians Ricky Ponting (48) and Steve Waugh (41),” ABC wrote in its tribute.
Virat Kohli retiring from the longest format of the game was a shocking announcement, not just for the Indians but for the entire world cricket. As both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have now retired, the Indian team will now feel a great lack of experience as they go to England for a Test series.
“Kohli has been the rock at the centre of India’s middle order for most of his career — and losing (Rohit) Sharma and Kohli at the same time is a major gut punch to the cricketing powerhouse,” news.com.au wrote.
“The immediate departures of Sharma and Kohli add another layer of intrigue to the widespread reports of disharmony within the Indian dressing room during the team’s tour of Australia this summer,” news.com.au concluded.
“… With it being an unstable time for the team, the departure of Kohli and his successor as skipper at the same time will leave a gaping hole off field as well as in the Indian top order, despite their struggles, ahead of a crucial series,” Fox Sports said.
There was once a time when Virat Kohli used to perform magnificently with the bat. Kohli used to be known as the ‘Real King’ in Test format. He played a total of 84 matches and scored 7202 runs during this time. He has played at an average of 54.97 and also scored 27 centuries. Even though Virat Kohli was once the king of the red-ball format, his performance declined since 2020. He played 39 Test matches since 2020, and his average fell down to 30.72. He also only scored three centuries.
Throughout his career, Virat Kohli played 123 Test matches for India, and scored 9230 runs. His average is of 46.83, and his performance has seen a steep fall in the past few years. Kohli has managed to score only 1990 runs in 37 matches that he player in the last 5 years.
