Kohli bows out with no room for challenge

Virat Kohli has caused a stir in India and world cricket with his announcement of retirement from Test cricket. Having already stepped away from T20Is, the Monday morning declaration is, for all practical purposes, a near-total superannuation from international cricket, more so because India play very few ODIs these days.

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Quite a few factors are at play here. When he took over as the captain of the Indian team in the middle of a series in Australia in 2014, he was thrown in the deep end. Such were the challenges he thrives on, and he was practically ready for all of them. Once he got settled into the role, he held a series of meetings with the Indian team think tank - the BCCI, the coach, chief selector, and senior players to strategize and chart a course to make India the No. 1 Test team in the world.

There was particular emphasis on the bowlers, and he wanted certain types of them so that he can win Tests overseas. This was a big challenge, and he was willing to accept it. He wanted to be pushed into a corner, but he wanted to make India great and make India great again in Tests. For three years in a row, India won the ICC World Test Mace in 2017, 2018 and 2019. There were also wins overseas (twice in Australia), once in England (the series later got drawn after India played the Covid-affected fifth Test a year later), and he had come close to beating South Africa in South Africa.