On this day: Virat Kohli made his Test debut — How far he's come since that first cap in 2011

It was May 12, 2025, when an Instagram post from Virat Kohli’s official account made the entire of India emotional. It wasn’t only about the Indian fans, but a large portion of the people who love Test cricket couldn’t hold their tears. Who will save Test cricket now? Many questioned. And every year, the date June 20 arrives, they celebrate a special occasion- Kohli’s Test debut anniversary. 

It was way back in 2011 at the Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica, when a young 23-year-old Kohli marked his way into the middle at number five when India were struggling at 64/3 in the very first session of the contest. He was up against a solid bowling line-up of Ravi Rampaul and Fidel Edwards, who was bowling gas at that time. 

The right-handed batter opened his red-ball account with a boundary, but that was the only shot for that encounter as he was dismissed for four runs off 10 balls. Kohli went nibbling at one outside the off stump to offer the wicket-keeper a simple catch.

Kohli traveled to Australia for the four-match Test series in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2011/12 and couldn’t do well in the first three games. Many claimed that he should be dropped before the fourth Test at the Adelaide Oval, having an average of 27.15 for his 353 runs in 13 innings with just three fifties to his name.

But the Indian selectors showed faith, and that was the only thing Kohli needed. The Delhi-born converted his fourth half-century into his maiden century against a formidable bowling line-up, which consisted of Ryan Harris, Ben Hilfenhaus, Peter Siddle, and Nathan Lyon. He ended up with 116 runs in 213 balls, thanks to 11 boundaries and one six. 

That was followed by brutal batting against several oppositions in different conditions, as he ended his red-ball career as India’s fourth-leading run-getter. He smashed 9230 runs in 210 innings at an average of 46.85 and a strike rate of 55.57, thanks to 30 centuries and 31 half-centuries at the best score of unbeaten 254 runs.

The Kohli knocks that redefined Indian batting abroad

Kohli’s Test knocks over the years proved his mettle and self-belief against new bowling conditions. The best batters always make it look easy to score runs, and Kohli was part of the rare list. Whenever he used to score runs, it felt like it was one of the easiest surfaces to bat on. Suddenly, an eye on the other batter at the crease would reflect the real story.

Whether coming out to bat at Wanderers in 2013 against the three prime pace bowlers of South Africa- Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, and Vernon Philander, or against Australia’s Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Pat Cummins on a new bouncy surface of Perth, or coming back to the haunted turf in England against James Anderson and Stuart Broad, Kohli stood in the middle with answers to every question.

See Also: Top 10 records held by Virat Kohli in Test cricket - Cricket Winner

One of his best knocks came in 2013 at Johannesburg when he smashed 119 and 96 across the two innings against Steyn, Morkel, and Philander, as it reminded the former Protea bowling coach, Allan Border, of Sachin Tendulkar. A year later, Kohli nailed 105* against New Zealand in Wellington, followed by 105* and 141 in Adelaide and Melbourne in 2014.

At the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai against England, two years later, the former Indian captain smashed 235. In reply to the visitors’ 400 in the first innings, the hosts had five batters collecting just 93 runs. In 2018, at Super Sports Park in Centurion, he dashed 153 runs when the next best score from the side was 46, while the second innings altogether put on 151.  

In 2018, the Delhi-born reached his maiden Test century in England. He went through the opening burst of Anderson walking into the middle, before shouldering his side to the home side’s first innings score of 287, thanks to his 149 at Edgbaston.

Towards the end of the year, he countered uneven bounce, seam movement, high pace, turn from the rough, and an untired attack of Hazlewood, Starc, and Cummins to get 123, with the next highest score of the whole match being 70. Fingers were broken, helmets were crashed, but Kohli batted like a crystal.

The last knock to discuss would be 254 runs against the Proteas in Pune in 2019. He walked into the middle at 136/2 as both Kagiso Rabada, Philander, and Anrich Nortje were able to break the defense of Kohli, whose unbeaten double century helped the blue brigade declare at 601/5. 

Every record Virat Kohli has rewritten in Test cricket

Kohli has always shown his best against the strong sides. He carries an average of 43.76 against Australia with nine centuries, which is his most against any opposition. Meanwhile, the right-handed batter has an impressive average of nearly 68 against Sri Lanka, along with 54.51 against the West Indies. 

See Also: Top 5 unbreakable Test records of Virat Kohli - Cricket Winner

The only team against whom he has failed to cross the average of more than 40 is New Zealand, having collected 959 runs in 27 innings, with the help of three centuries and four fifties.

Virat Kohli’s Test performances by opponents-

Kohli has an impressive record at home with an average of more than 55. He has also done well with 49.78 in South Africa, along with an average of 44 in the Caribbean. His worst has come in New Zealand with an average of 36. 

Virat Kohli’s Test performances by countries-

Whenever the Indian side have won, Kohli has been fantastic. In victories, he has an average of 51.59 for 4746 runs in 102 innings with 14 centuries and 16 fifties. In their defeats, the average drops to 32.60, while in draws, India’s average goes up to 71.89 with 14 50+ scores in 30 innings.

Virat Kohli’s Test performance by match result-

The veteran’s best year in the longest format came in 2016 and 2017. In 2016, he smashed 1215 runs in 18 innings at 75.94, followed by 1059 runs in 2017 at an average of 75.64. In those two years, he celebrated nine centuries and three fifties out of just 34 innings. 

Virat Kohli's captaincy record: Wins, risks, and the numbers behind the aggression

Kohli finished as the sixth most successful captain of the longest format, which was arguably the best for the Indian side, having earned 40 wins in 68 clashes at a win-loss ratio of 2.35, as he has a win rate of 58.82%.

His captaincy came by surprise. Kohli led the national side during the opening Test of the BGT 2014/15 at the Adelaide Oval when the former captain, MS Dhoni, rested due to injury. By the end of the third Test in Melbourne during the series, when Dhoni retired, Kohli became the full-time captain. 

See Also: Virat Kohli’s Test comeback? Childhood coach drops major hint— ‘Let’s see what happens’

Under him, the blue brigade won their very first Test series in Australia during the 2018/19 series. His captaincy brought more success for the pace department of the side as India decided to go with four pacers, rather than being spin-friendly, even at home.

Who can forget the Lord’s Test in 2021 against England? His motivational words of ’60 overs of hell’ charged the entire team as they earned an unbelievable victory against the Joe Root-led side. He had the chance to perhaps end his Test career with 10000 runs, but as he said in the past, he was never going to stay without giving 120% to the team. 

At Wanderers in 2018, when the surface was made of uneven bounce and the umpires were about to call the game off, Kohli made sure that the game would continue as they batted in those circumstances and earned a famous win.  

What Virat Kohli actually taught Indian cricket in Tests

Kohli put fire and life into the format, which was dying in the incredible growth of the shortest format. When they won the Eden Gardens Test against the Kiwis in 2016, Kohli spoke about various lessons of the game.

“A challenging situation in Test cricket is the most exciting thing a viewer can see, and for a player, playing to feel. You can sense that energy, which no other format can provide for you.” Kohli expressed after the contest.

See Also: Top 5 largest Test wins for India - Cricket Winner

“It's our responsibility to keep Test cricket where it belongs, and if we play cricket like this - you saw how engaged the crowd was, they like to see exciting cricket, and we have to provide it. You have to interact with them; you have to make sure they are a part of the whole thing. You feed off their energy. It happens so much in limited overs, so why not in Test cricket?" He added.

Kohli built a lethal pace battery in the longest format, including Mohammad Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Ishant Sharma, besides setting incredible fitness standards to match the demands of the five-day format, along with unleashing the Test mentality.

He completed the dream of winning overseas Test matches while elevating the value of the format. Without Kohli, one can sense the absence of salt in any well-made recipe. Every year, June 20 arrives, and these things hit hard, not only to Indian fans but also to world cricket.

OTD: Virat Kohli’s made Test debut- FAQs-