The Career-Defining Innings Of Virat Kohli in ODI and Test Cricket

As we look back, Virat Kohli's twin hundreds in the Adelaide Test in 2014 was special

The Making of Virat Kohli, The Run Accumulator in Tests:

A magnificent innings in whites is always much appreciated. More so, if that innings comes after a dismal outing in England. Back in 2014, Virat Kohli had already stamped his authority in the coloured jersey, as he had transformed into one of the batting mainstays of the Indian lineup. In Tests, he had played some delightful knocks but he was not as dominating a batsman he was, compared to ODIs. The hundreds did come along the way, but the torrid times that he faced in England, against the mighty swing of Jimmy Anderson, made critics question his place in the Indian test side.

He was expected to score hundreds in the test series in England, considering the consistency he was exhibiting in ODIs. But it was not to be, as he fell innings after innings by nicking deliveries that were outside the off stump. He aggregated 134 runs in that tour across five different venues and ten short-lived stays in the middle. The star of the modern day Indian lineup was suddenly facing the heat, thanks to that single tour to England.

He had a lot of homework to do before the next overseas series. He had to tour Australia, which was equally challenging. All eyes were on Virat Kohli when he took the field in the Adelaide test in 2014. Remember, he had just completed a poor tour of England four months back and might have been in the worst possible mindset. Never easy when you are completely out of form and made to tour a country like Australia.

This is what makes Virat Kohli special! In the very first test in Adelaide, he stunned all his critics in stunning fashion by scoring two masterful hundreds in the same test. He scored 115 and 141 in the two innings in that test, which was a fantastic achievement considering the fact that he went through ten tough times with the bat in the England series. He faced the likes of Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle, and Nathan Lyon with high confidence and played a captain's knock in both the innings of the test. He had already scored a hundred in the Adelaide test in the 2011-12 tour of Australia, but this one was something special.

This was also his first Test match as an Indian captain, and by playing two masterly knocks in his very first Test as captain, he had shown the cricketing world that captaincy is not going to affect his batting one bit, and it was the start of many of the top knocks that he has played with the willow in hand, as a captain of Team India.

This innings is special in another way too. India had to chase 364 in the second essay, and most of the captains in the world would have instructed their team members to go for a draw rather than trying for an improbable win. But Virat Kohli, the aggressive leader he is, instructed his troop to go for a win. He did lead from the front by scoring a classy 141 off just 175 balls and had an able partner in Vijay, who agonizingly fell one short of a masterly hundred. But apart from these two, nobody showed any fight whatsoever and India was bowled out for 315, just 48 short of what would have been a magnificent win. Even though India lost, the fact that they went for a win was commendable. This was the positivity and confidence that the New India under Virat Kohli was exhibiting! He went on to score four hundreds in that series with the Adelaide heroics being the start of something special.

Virat had played some good knocks in Test cricket before the Adelaide test in 2014, but due to various reasons as mentioned above, this innings of Virat Kohli might have well provided the much-needed impetus for him, going forward. His heroics with the bat is nothing short of extraordinary from then on, and the latest icing on the cake being able to conquer England as well, where he failed last time around.

He has conquered South Africa, humbled New Zealand, stamped his authority in Australia and decimated England of late, to have a successful record against the SENA nations. With age by his side, there are so many special ones yet to be delivered but Adelaide 2014 will always be remembered for the making of Virat Kohli - The captain who accumulates runs in almost all conditions. A billion eyes turn towards him, as he wields his willow every game, with runs and tons written all over it!

With 24 test tons to his name, we can get ready to witness more of the same as his game is only getting better and better with each passing match. Such is the standard that he has set for himself, that anything short of a Virat Kohli century these days, is viewed with utmost disappointment from the Indian cricket fans.

Oh Adelaide, thank you for presenting India's best batsman of the modern era (2011 ton) and thank you for bringing about a career-defining knock from the same Virat King Kohli as a captain in 2014!