Virat Kohli's 3 greatest Test knocks in losing cause

Team India's premier batsman Virat Kohli has rocked the cricketing world with his impeccable run-scoring, and in doing so, has rightly earned himself the nickname run machine. The batting maestro keeps on churning out centuries after centuries.

The 30-year-old Indian skipper has completed 10 years of international cricket this year. His abnormal statistics are evidence of him being superhuman. He has scored more than 10000 runs in ODIs and 6000 runs in Tests. There is absolutely no doubt why is called the best batsman of this generation.

He has amassed an astonishing 62 centuries and 67 half centuries in total. The modern-day batting maestro is the second best only to Sir Don Bradman in terms of conversion rate. Kohli has scored 24 Test match centuries and 19 half centuries.

In 2018, Virat Kohli has played 10 Test matches in which he has scored 1063 runs at an impressive average of 59.05 garnished with 4 centuries and 4 half centuries.

Let us have a look at three of his best amongst his two dozen Test centuries.

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3) 153 at Centurion in 2018

Against the backdrop of a terrible loss at Cape Town in the first Test in January 2018, Virat Kohli produced this masterclass in the first innings of the second Test. Both KL Rahul and Pujara got out cheaply and there wasn't much contribution from middle order batsmen.

With a great deal of concentration and breathtaking strokeplay, Virat Kohli managed to bat with the tail till the end and scored a masterly 153 (217) which included glorious 15 fours. The most noticeable aspect was the patience shown by him during the course of his innings.

He batted for 380 minutes in that scorching heat at Newlands. He took the total to 307, leaving only 28 runs lead to the Proteas. It was his 21st Test century and the first one in 2018.

Virat's valiant effort went in vain as India suffered a tragic loss and eventually lost the series with still one game to go. But it was an innings that once again proved why Kohli is one of the best batsmen in Test matches too.

2) 149 at Edgbaston in 2018

After just 134 runs in 10 innings at a dismal average of 13.4 in India's tour to England in 2014, when Virat Kohli came out to bat in the first Test of the series in 2018, he had a point to prove against the likes of Anderson and Co.

In the very first innings of the tour, he won over his demons and scored a century, his first in Tests in England. Some might say he was lucky as he was dropped twice by Jennings and Malan. But to capitalize on the reprieves and to come out at the top against some quality swing bowling attack was something special.

He scored a magnificent 149 (225) garnished with 23 glorious boundaries. He reduced England's first innings to lead to a meagre 13 runs. He batted brilliantly with the tail to bring up his 22nd Test match century.

Kohli once again scored a resilient 51 to bring the team closer to the fourth innings target, but after he got out, the middle and lower order did not put up any fight and India ended up losing a nail-biting Test match.

1) 141 at Adelaide in 2014

It won't be a bad idea to name one of the stands in Adelaide Oval with Virat Kohli's name. Kohli scored his first ever Test century in the same ground in a desolating 2011-12 Test tour for India. He batted smartly with the tailenders to bring up his memorable first Test century. Who knew the same boy would go on to become a modern day legend?

Three years down the line when India toured Australia in 2014-15, it was going to be different for India because it was their first tour without the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman. But the nation did not miss them at all as Kohli made history by scoring a mammoth 692 runs in 4 Test matches which included 4 centuries.

Kohli was asked to captain in the first Test match and made sure there was no less fuel for the fire as he lit the Adelaide Oval with a brilliant 115 in the first innings, taking the team total as close as possible to Australia's first innings total. But what followed in the second innings was no short of a miracle.

When India were set a target of 360 in the fourth innings, every Indian fan was hoping for Team India to play out the remaining three sessions for a draw. But captain courageous Virat Kohli had other ideas. He went for the impossible.

Kohli went after what was considered as an improbable chase against all odds, and in doing so, he produced his greatest Test knock till date. He unleashed fear back in the Australian dressing room with his incomparable 141(175). It included 17 boundaries with some of the most breathtaking shots ever seen on a cricket field.

He created history by scoring two Test centuries on debut as an Indian captain. He was accompanied by a brilliant M Vijay who missed out on a second innings century by 1 run.

In the end, India lost the match by 48 runs. It is considered as one of best Test matches of this decade. Even though the match was lost, but India had found a ferocious leader and a master batsman in Virat Kohli.