Virat Kohli has announced his retirement from Test cricket, drawing the curtain on one of the most compelling chapters in the modern era. And fittingly, it’s Australia that headlines his parting script — the team and country that brought the best out of him.
His last Test came at the SCG in January, where India relinquished the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after holding it for nearly a decade. It was on Australian soil, in the 2014-15 tour, where Kohli stamped himself as a modern great. He hit twin tons in Adelaide, followed it with masterful hundreds in Melbourne and Sydney, and averaged a staggering 86.50 for the series.
Seven of Kohli’s 29 Test hundreds came in Australia — the most by a visiting batter in the country since Wally Hammond, nearly 90 years ago. That number also stands as his highest tally in any overseas nation. Across 13 Tests Down Under, Kohli scored 1,684 runs at 48.11, blending flair with fight.
He finishes with 9,230 runs at 46.85 from 123 Tests — behind only Tendulkar, Dravid and Gavaskar among Indian batters. But beyond the numbers was a player who relished the challenge, embraced the hostility, and thrived under pressure. Against Australia, and especially in Australia, Kohli didn’t just play — he performed.
For a generation of fans, Kohli vs Australia was the defining contest. Now, it’s a memory.