Virat Kohli has confirmed his Test career is over ahead of a looming tour of England, bowing out just months after Australia’s bowlers dominated the Indian megastar in his final series Down Under.
With the exception of a second-innings century in the first match of last season’s Border-Gavaskar series in Perth, 36-year-old Kohli was repeatedly lured into catches behind the wicket, struggling against Scott Boland in particular on seaming Australian pitches.
Virat Kohli has bid farewell to Test cricket.Credit: Getty Images
Boland coaxed Kohli into nicking behind or into the slips cordon in three of his last four innings, including both of what became his final Test in Sydney in January.
His last hurrah on Australian shores was underwhelming, with a return of 190 runs at 23.75 in a series that Pat Cummins’ men won 3-1.
Kohli’s announcement via social media on Monday followed weeks of discussions between him and the Indian board about his availability for the England tour. Attempts to convince Kohli that he still had a future in Test cricket were fruitless.
“It’s been 14 years since I first wore the baggy blue in Test cricket. Honestly, I never imagined the journey this format would take me on. It’s tested me, shaped me, and taught me lessons I’ll carry for life,” Kohli wrote on Instagram to his 271 million followers.
“There’s something deeply personal about playing in whites. The quiet grind, the long days, the small moments that no one sees but that stay with you forever.
“As I step away from this format, it’s not easy — but it feels right. I’ve given it everything I had, and it’s given me back so much more than I could’ve hoped for.
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