Ruthless, fit, fast and unprecedented: How Kohli transformed India's Test cricket fortunes

Legendary India batter Virat Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket on Monday, bringing an end to a decorated career where he dominated a variety of regions, conditions and opponents as a batter and captain.

- AGENCIES

During his 14 years as a part of the Test game, the 36-year-old emerged as one of long format's strongest leaders who loved his fast bowlers, advocated strict fitness regimes, demanded nothing but 110 per cent from his frontline batters and broke boundaries as a captain.

A young Virat in his mid 20s gave the world the first taste of 'Captain Kohli' during the 2014-15 tour to Australia, when he launched a rattling assault on Australian bowlers during the first Test at Adelaide, almost chasing down 364 for India, but the middle-order collapsed.

Since then till his final game in charge during the 2022 tour to South Africa, never did once he fail to remind the world that his 'New India' was not the one to be messed with, to be bullied and battered into submission and had to be taken seriously as the newest challengers in a highly hegemonic Test cricket environment dominated by the oldest powers, Australia and England.

Statistically, Virat can hold his head high as India's most successful captain, winning 40 out of 68 matches, 13 more than the next-highest, MS Dhoni (27 matches).

He lost just 17 and drew 11, with a win percentage as stunning as 58.82.

Amongst all teams and captains, only Graeme Smith of South Africa (53), Ricky Ponting and Steve Waugh of Australia (48 in 41 wins respectively) led their teams to more wins.

His win percentage is only bettered by Waugh (71.93 per cent) and Ponting (62.34 per cent) among those who led their nation in at least 40 Tests, making him an absolute elite-level captain.

With his twin centuries on captaincy debut at Adelaide, he became the only Indian and only second player aside from Greg Chappell to achieve this feat on his captaincy debut, a sign of tremendous batsmanship under the pressure of captaincy.