Virat Kohli's five best Test knocks outside Asia

Virat Kohli, a name that automatically comes to your mind when you are talking about batting greats in the game of cricket. He is one of those players who needs no prior introduction because of what he has achieved in a career that has spanned for almost 10 years. He is just 29 at this point in time and has a lot to achieve in the future. Passionate is the word that best describes him the best. He has the capability to achieve even greater heights in the future.

It is very hard to find a player as dedicated and passionate as Kohli. His dynamic and aggressive approach to the game has paid rich dividends not only for him but also for team India. It's also the passion that defines Kohli's emotional, effervescent and at times firecracker character. Virat Kohli does not hold back and that remains his strength. He has the ability to take out the team from difficult positions because he has that belief in himself that he can pull off even the impossible of things. This thinking of his makes him a special player and separates him from the rest.

The added burden of captaincy on him has an almost negligible effect on his performance. In fact, his batting has only got better with each passing day and it seems that it is impossible to stop this run machine.

In the following slides, we are going to have a look at the best knocks of Virat Kohli outside India.

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#5 105 vs New Zealand- Wellington(2014)

New Zealand v India - 2nd Test: Day 5

Virat Kohli scored a fantastic hundred in the second innings of the Wellington test in 2014. This innings had its own importance because India had to bat out the remaining 67 overs in order to ensure a draw and save themselves from a defeat. The target that New Zealand set for India was a mammoth 435 after Brendon McCullum became the first New Zealand player to score a triple century in test matches.

It was not possible to achieve such a huge target with the number of overs left so it the only task only left for India was to play out the overs and ensure a draw. At one point of time, India was struggling at 54/3 but it was Kohli who scored a fantastic century and saved the match for team India.

#4 119 vs South Africa-Johannesburg(2013)

South Africa v India - Test Match Series - Day One

Conditions in South Africa have always been difficult to play and has tested even the best of batsmen. Scoring a century in these tough conditions speaks highly of the player and also shows the amount of talent that particular possesses. Virat Kohli scored a century in the first test at Johannesburg in 2013.

Before this series, India had lost 8 overseas tests so it was a tough challenge for team India particularly in the challenging conditions of South Africa. Kohli went on to score a majestic 119 on the first day to put India in a commanding position.

#3 169 vs Australia- Melbourne(2014)

Australia v India: 3rd Test - Day 5

Kohli and the Australian Team- a better love story than anyone can think of. Kohli loves to play against the Australian team. He just loves to face the challenges that the Australian team puts in front of him and this is why he is able to score big runs against them. The Melbourne Test was no different.

He scored a fantastic 169 in India's first innings. The way he batted along with Rahane speaks highly of the talent that he possesses and also his ability to bat in tough conditions. The battle between Australia’s spearhead (Mitchell Johnson) and India’s vice-captain was a memorable one. Johnson kept sledging Kohli, but the No. 4 batsman kept answering back with the bat as he plundered 68 runs off 72 balls that he faced off Johnson.

#2 149 vs England- Edgbaston(2018)

England v India: Specsavers 1st Test - Day Two.

This is India's first tour of England after that disastrous tour of 2014 where they lost the test series 3-1 after being 1-0 up after a famous victory in the Lord's test. That tour was not only disastrous for India but also for Kohli as a player. Before this innings, Kohli scored only 134 runs at a poor average of 13.40.

So, Kohli had to shut the mouth of his haters and he fittingly did that by scoring a magical 149. The next highest was 26. This shows the struggle that the Indian batsman faced while playing against the English bowlers. Kohli was the only bright spot in the Indian innings and it was because of him that India was able to reach 274 otherwise it seemed that India would be bundled out for a score of less than 200.

#1 141 vs Australia- Adelaide(2014)

Australia v India - 1st Test: Day 5

Everyone knows that Kohli has a nag of scoring runs against the Australian team. It seems that his only aim of playing cricket is to score runs against Australia and make them have a taste of their own medicine. After scoring a brilliant 115 in the first innings, he went on to score another century in the second innings.

With this innings, he went on to become the only second captain to score twin centuries on captaincy debut. He was fighting a lone battle and looked set to take India home single-handedly, but when he fell for 141, trying to deposit a shortish ball into the mid-wicket stands off Lyon, India were still 60 runs away from that famous victory in Australia. And with his dismissal, Australia had a sigh of relief and the hopes of a remarkable win were dashed and eventually, the hosts won by 48 runs.