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The final of the second edition of the World Test Championship between India and Australia kicks off on Wednesday, June 7, at The Oval in London. Both teams will be desperate to add the WTC trophy to their glittering cabinets.
For India, the onus will once again be on Virat Kohli, who has been in great form recently. He had a magnificent IPL with the Royal Challengers Bangalore and will be looking to carry that form into the WTC Final against an opponent that he has enjoyed playing against.
On that note, here's a look at Virat Kohli's top-5 knocks in Test Cricket against the mighty Aussies:
#1 116, Adelaide (2012)
During the 2011-12 tour of Australia, Virat Kohli struggled in the first two games of the series as India got off to a poor start. There were calls for Kohli to be dropped for the third Test in Perth, but MS Dhoni persisted with the Delhi-born batter.
Kohli honored his captain's faith as he struck an important half-century in Perth. He then went on to notch his maiden Test century (116 off 213 balls) in the fourth and final Test in Adelaide.
It was the only century by an Indian during the series in which the Indian team was whitewashed 4-0. This was an important knock in Kohli's career as it came in tough conditions and against a formidable bowling line-up. There was no looking back for Kohli after that, as he went on a run-scoring spree.
#2 141, Adelaide (2014)
Kohli's 141 at the Adelaide Oval in the 2014-15 Border-Gavaskar Series is one of his best ever Test knocks. This was the game in which Kohli captained India for the first time in the longest format of the game. In the fourth innings, India required 364 runs to win the match and the visitors, led by Kohli, decided to go for the win.
India lost two early wickets, but Murali Vijay held one end as Kohli played a stroke-filled innings to take India close to the target. Kohli's 141 came off 175 balls, with 16 fours and a six. While Kohli was in the middle, it looked like India would pull off a remarkable victory, but after his dismissal, the batting line-up fell like a pack of cards.
#3 186, Ahmedabad (2023)
Kohli's 186 against the Austrians in the fourth Test of this year's Border-Gavaskar Trophy is third on this list. Ahead of the game, the right-handed batter was under a lot of pressure because of his poor run in the longest format of the game, which included a 14-month period without a half century and a three-year century drought.
However, Kohli turned it around in the fourth Test as he smashed a crucial century, his 28th in Test cricket. Australia made 480 in the first innings and India required someone to take responsibility and play a long innings. Kohli stepped up and helped India take a lead, winning the player of the match award in the process.
#4 147, Sydney (2015)
In the final game of the 2014-15 Border-Gavaskar Series held in Australia, Kohli continued the rich vein of form he demonstrated throughout the series. The Aussies had notched up a score of 572 in the first innings thanks to centuries by Steve Smith and David Warner.
In response, India scored 475, led by Kohli, who smashed his fourth century of the series. He scored 147 and found an able partner in KL Rahul who scored his maiden Test ton. This game ended in a draw as the Aussies won the series 2-0.
#5 169, Melbourne (2014)
Another knock from the 2014-15 series between India and Australia finds a mention on this list. That's how good Kohli was throughout the course of the four-match series. Kohli, fresh from twin hundreds in the opening Test in Adelaide, continued his great form as he smashed another ton in the third Test at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground.
The hosts put up a score of 530 in the first innings, thanks to Steve Smith's 192. However, Kohli, in the company of Ajinkya Rahane, helped India get close to the Australian total. Kohli made 169 runs with Rahane also scoring a ton, which helped India frustrate the Aussies. This game eventually ended in a stalemate.
