June 20 will be etched in the annals of Indian cricket history as the day when three of the nation's legends made their Test debuts. Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, and Virat Kohli all entered the challenging realm of Test cricket on this date. Ganguly and Dravid made their stunning debuts in 1996. Ganguly then scored a century, and Dravid notched 95 runs. Yet, Kohli's introduction was relatively subdued.
In 2011, he managed only four and 15 runs against the West Indies in Kingston. The series concluded with a forgettable tally of 76 runs from three Tests. MS Dhoni's unwavering faith in Kohli's abilities allowed him to keep his place for the four-Test series against Australia later that year. The rest is history. Kohli announced his arrival with a brilliant 76 in Perth, followed by his maiden Test century in Adelaide. Twelve years later, he remains one of the game's greatest batsmen.
To mark this special day, Kohli, who has always expressed his deep love for Test cricket, took to his social media platforms to share a heartfelt message. He said: "12 years in Test cricket today. Forever grateful." Kohli's post resonated with fans, as it caused a momentary panic. Some of them perceived it as a retirement announcement.
The image shared by Kohli, featuring one of his trademark cover drives, sent shockwaves through fans before they read the accompanying caption, which relieved their apprehension. "For a second, I thought it was a retirement post in Test cricket," wrote one user on Kohli's Instagram post. Another one expressed his feelings: "I had a mini-heart attack. I thought The King posted a retirement message."
The fans' concern is understandable, as Kohli had made a couple of unexpected announcements in the past on social media. In October 2021, he declared his decision to step down as India's T20I captain after the conclusion of the T20 World Cup. While that announcement was somewhat anticipated, Kohli's decision to relinquish the Test captaincy came as a surprise when he announced it on January 15, 2022, following India's 1-2 defeat in South Africa.
The love story between Kohli and Test matches is remarkable. Not only has he excelled as a batsman, but he has also revolutionized Test cricket for India as a captain. Under his leadership, the team secured five consecutive Test series victories, a testament to India's status as the top-ranked Test team for five straight years. Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri spearheaded a fitness revolution, setting new standards with the introduction of the Yo-Yo test.
He was crucial in assembling a formidable pace-bowling unit that dominated opponents. With Kohli at the helm, India became a force to be reckoned with in overseas tours, recording consecutive Test series wins in Australia and securing a draw in England. Kohli concluded his tenure as India's most successful Test captain with an impressive tally of 40 wins, surpassing MS Dhoni's record of 27 victories.
In 2018, Kohli became the first player to win the ICC Test Player of the Year award and the ODI award in the same year. His prowess speaks for itself as a batsman, amassing 8,479 runs from 109 Tests. This achievement puts him sixth on India's all-time Test run-scorers list, only behind the legends such as Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, and Sunil Gavaskar.