5 of Virat Kohli's best Test knocks that have established his masterclass

5. 116 vs Australia, Adelaide Oval, January 2012

This was the knock which well and truly announced Kohli’s arrival in Test cricket. He was already a budding star in the ODIs and T20Is, but his place in the longest format was in threat. Not many expected him to play a blinder of an innings and save his place, which he eventually did.

Riding on Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke’s double tons, Australia posted a mammoth 604 runs in their first innings. It certainly was going to be impossible for the Indians to be half as good, especially after losing the first three games. The final Test was no different, the top order was crucified and another humiliating failure was on the cards.

Kohli came in at number 6, with the scoreboard reading 87/4. This was the innings where people saw glimpses of what was to come in the future, as he took the fight against the rampant Aussies and gave it back in style. With support from Wriddhiman Saha and Ishant Sharma towards the end, he completed a scintillating hundred and people still reminisce it as one of the finest from his bat.

The way he celebrated after getting to three figures showed what this inning meant to him. This is how his love affair with the Adelaide Oval commenced and the world knows what has happened thereafter. India lost that game by a gigantic 298-run margin, but a true gem took birth in Adelaide that day who would go on to become an absolute legend in the next few years.

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