In the T20 era, King Kohli made Test matches roar

The clenched fists, the animated celebrations, the roaring send-offs and the unrelenting intensity — Virat Kohli didn't just play Test cricket. He performed it.

- Samreen Razzaqui

NEW DELHI: He gave it a pulse in a time when the longest format was being pushed to the margins by the charm of white-ball cricket.

Kohli turned Test cricket into a main event again and for a generation raised on instant thrills and depleting attention spans, he made them believe that a hard-fought dogfight on Day 5 was still the most exhilarating experience.

Kohli was raw, volatile but magnetic. He didn't just bring eyes to the format — he made you feel something. The results were evident in India's never seen before wins, improved fielding and an era of fast bowling that gave India a cutting edge in foreign conditions.

Through his 14-year-long career, he remained a relentless advocate of the format. His words following India's 178-run win over New Zealand at the Eden Gardens in 2016 come to mind where Kohli insisted that the charm of the longest format is unmatched.