Kohli struggled in his initial days as a Test player, averaging just 27.15 in his first seven matches. However, his defiant 116 against Australia in 2012 - a tour where India’s batting had faltered - marked the emergence of a new batting star.

During his first tour of England in 2014, Kohli faced the harsh realities of Test cricket. He managed just 134 runs across 10 innings, with James Anderson emerging as his persistent nemesis, exposing his weakness against off-stump balls.

A lively figure on the pitch, his on-field rivalry remained fierce, evident in the fiery clashes between Mitchell Johnson and Kohli.

His past overseas struggles were put behind with a stunning century in Adelaide – a venue he would go on to dominate. Leading the team in the first Test in MS Dhoni’s absence, his 115 announced, emphatically, that he belonged at this level.

In the fourth innings, India were set a target of 364. Batting on a deteriorating fifth-day pitch, the tourists audaciously chased victory. Kohli’s blistering 141 off 175 balls brought them within 48 runs of an improbable win – a performance that redefined India’s Test ambitions: aggressive and fearless. Later in the series, he was made permanent Test captain after Dhoni retired.

At Antigua in 2016 against West Indies, Kohli brought up his first double hundred. He would go on to score six more, becoming the only captain to achieve that. His tally of seven centuries is also the joint fourth-best.

The South Africa tour in 2018 was one of Kohli’s biggest as permanent captain. In this series, he scored 286 runs at 47.66, single-handedly carrying India’s Test batting. The 153 in Centurion was the standout knock.

Trailing 0-2 in the series, India clinched a thrilling victory at Johannesburg. Defending 241, they won by 62 runs, announcing to the world their newfound resilience on hostile terrain.

In 2018, Kohli returned to England as captain. A proven batting star, doubts still lingered: could he overcome the ghosts of 2014? He answered emphatically, with 149 and 51 in the Edgbaston Test. Across the series, he scored 593 runs at 59.30 (2 centuries, 3 fifties), but India lost 1-4.

In 2019, Kohli became the first Indian captain to achieve a historic milestone: leading India to a Test series victory in Australia.

After the Australia triumph, Kohli’s India targeted England as their next frontier. At Lord’s, the tourists faced a daunting task of bowling out England within 60 overs on the final day to win. A fired-up Kohli rallied his team, famously declaring, "If I see anyone laughing, just watch! For 60 overs, make them feel hell out there." India delivered, skittling England for 120, a victory etched in history. The series stood at 2-1 to India when Covid forced its postponement. A year later, India returned under new leadership, squandering their hard-earned lead.

Before 2020, Kohli had amassed 7,202 runs at 54.97 from 84 Tests. However, post-2020, his performances waned, with just 2,028 runs at 30.72 in 39 matches. The 2021/22 South Africa series marked his final outing as Test captain, a tenure that ended amid a fallout with the BCCI.

Amid his prolonged struggle for runs, all eyes turned to the 2024 BGT in Australia, a country where he had historically thrived. It looked like he was on the path to resurgence with an unbeaten century in the Perth Test, his 30th Test ton, which silenced critics, if only briefly.

After his Perth century, Kohli’s technical frailities outside the off stump resurfaced, and were exposed by Scott Boland. India’s series defeat compounded his Test batting woes, marking another low in a turbulent phase. Eventually, he retired from the Test team.