mid-day.com provides you five best Test wins India have achieved under his leadership
India skipper Virat Kohli. PIC/PTI
Virat Kohli will lead India for the 61st time in Test cricket—the most by any Indian skipper—when he walks out for the toss with New Zealand’s Kane Williamson in the World Test Championship final in Southampton on Friday.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni led India in 60 Tests, the maximum by an Indian captain.
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mid-day.com provides you five best Test wins India have achieved under Kohli’s leadership.
V Australia (2nd Test Bangalore, 2017)
Result: India won by 75 runs
The home team were under tremendous pressure to perform in the second Test at Bangalore after going down to Australia by a massive 333-run margin in the first Test at Pune. Kohli’s decision to bat first backfired as the hosts were bundled out for just 189. The Australians in reply, scored 276 to take an 87-run first-innings lead. Top-order batsmen gave India a convincing start as the hosts ended Day Three on 213-4. But India’s batting collapsed on the fourth day with the last six wickets adding just 61. With 188 required and almost two days in hand, it looked like an easy chase for the Aussies, but the Indians had other plans. Thanks to off-spinner R Ashwin’s 6-41, the Aussies were reduced to 101-5. The visitors collapsed to 112 on the fourth day. India won the match by 75 runs to level the four-match series 1-1.
V South Africa (3rd Test Johannesburg, 2018)
Result: India won by 63 runs
South Africa were eyeing a series whitewash after beating India convincingly in the first two matches. The decision to bat first didn’t go in India’s favour as the visitors lost openers Murali Vijay and KL Rahul early. Cheteshwar Pujara (50) and Kohli (54) put on 84 runs for the third wicket to bring India back on track, but the lower middle-order batsmen stumbled to South Africa’s pace attack as the visitors were bundled out for just 187. Pacer Jasprit Bumrah’s 5-54 helped India restrict the hosts to 194. The visitors managed 247 in the second essay on a pitch that had an uneven bounce and made life difficult for batsmen. Set a target of 241, opener Dean Elgar (86 not out) and Hashim Amla (52) took South Africa to 124-1, but the visitors lost the last nine wickets for just 53 runs, thanks to pacer Mohd Shami’s 5-28 as the hosts were all out for 177. India won the match by 63 runs to register its first win in South Africa after seven years.
V England (3rd Test Trent Bridge, 2018)
Result: India won by 203 runs
India came into the game losing the first two Tests, which included an innings and 159 runs defeat in the second match. But the visitors made a strong comeback. Kohli led from the front with 97 and 103 as India posted 329 and 352-7 declared in the first and second innings respectively. Hardik Pandya's fiery spell (5-28 off just six overs) derailed England in the first innings as the hosts were bowled out for just 161. Set a mammoth target of 521, England were all out for 317 as India won its first match on English soil after five consecutive defeats.
V Australia (3rd Test Melbourne, 2018)
Result: India won by 137 runs
India won the first match of the series at Adelaide but Australia made a strong comeback to win the second Test and level the series 1-1 at Perth. India started the third Test on a positive note by posting 215-2 on Day One. Cheteshwar Pujara’s 106 and 82 runs by Kohli helped India post a massive 443-7 declared. Australia, in reply, were bowled out for just 151, thanks to a six-wicket haul by Bumrah (6-33), the second-best bowling figures for an Indian pace bowler in Australia. Fast bowler Pat Cummins (6-27) helped Australia make a comeback by reducing the visitors to 106-8 declared in the second essay. With 399 required for victory, Australia’s top-order batsmen failed to put up a good show as the hosts were bowled out for 261, thus losing the match by 137 runs as India took a 2-1 lead in the four-match series.
V England (2nd Test Chennai, 2021)
Result: India won by 317 runs
It was a do-or-die match for India to qualify for the World Test Championship final after losing the first Test to England by 227 runs. India’s top-order batsmen failed to deliver but opener Rohit Sharma’s massive 161 helped the hosts reach 329. England batsmen in reply, couldn’t do much and were bowled out for just 134. India struggled once again with the bat and were reduced to 106-6 before local boy Ashwin smashed 106 to take the hosts to 286. Chasing 482, the Englishmen were dismissed for just 164. India won the match by a 317-run win to level series 1-1 and keep WTC final hopes alive.
Also Read: WTC Final: Past is passe for Ajinkya Rahane
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