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OTD In 2011: Virat Kohli Made His Test Debut  And Launched A Legacy For The Ages

Jatin

Virat Kohli made his Test debut on June 20, 2011 [Source: @sportz_point/x.com]Virat Kohli made his Test debut on June 20, 2011 [Source: @sportz_point/x.com]

Exactly 14 years ago today, on June 20, 2011, a young and aggressive Virat Kohli walked out in whites for the first time in Test cricket. The venue was Sabina Park in Kingston and the opponent was West Indies.

Virat Kohli Debuted In Tests OTD And Changed Indian Cricket Forever

Fresh off a World Cup win, Virat Kohli arrived with a truckload of expectations but quickly realised that red-ball cricket plays by its own rules. He scored just 4 and 15. But little did the world know, this was the start of something historic.

India batted first on a spicy pitch that offered bounce and movement. Kohli walked in at No.5 but couldn’t get going. He was tested with the short ball and eventually fell to Fidel Edwards after scoring just 4 runs. The right-hander pressed forward to a delivery well outside off stump, one he didn’t need to flirt with, but he did only to edge it to the keeper, Carlton Baugh, who made no mistake.

In the second innings, the story wasn’t much different as Edwards had his number again for 15. A short ball into the ribs, drifting down leg and Kohli, looking to tickle it fine, ended up gloving it. The appeal was loud, and Daryl Harper’s finger went up in a flash. Kohli walked back for 15, visibly disappointed. Two innings. Nineteen runs. Not the most memorable start.

CLICK HERE to watch Virat Kohli's Test Debut

India, however, rode on Rahul Dravid’s brilliance and a collective bowling effort to win that match by 63 runs, taking a 1-0 lead in the series. But for Kohli, it was a brutal beginning, the kind that either breaks a player or builds a beast. Kohli chose the latter. He didn’t let his debut define him. 

Instead, he dug deep, fixed his flaws and roared back. Over the next 14 years, he would go on to become one of the greatest Test batters of all time, smashing 9,230 runs in 123 matches with 30 centuries, 31 half-centuries and a jaw-dropping 7 double tons. His average of 46.85 is proof of how consistent and dominant he was across conditions.

Legacy That Goes Beyond Numbers

When he took over as captain from MS Dhoni, Indian Test cricket saw a revolution. Kohli brought in a culture of fitness, fearlessness and fast bowling domination. He led India to a Test series win in Australia, a feat that had never been achieved before. His era wasn’t just about winning at home; it was about owning the world stage in whites.

Kohli’s legacy in Tests isn’t just about what he scored. It’s about how he made people care about the format again. He brought drama, aggression and intensity. Whether it was his fiery send-offs, his big-match tons or his faith in pacers, Kohli wore his heart on his sleeve and fans loved him for it.

Fourteen years ago in Kingston, Virat Kohli looked like a boy lost in the wilderness. But today, with his Test whites hung up, he stands tall as a giant of Indian cricket. 

He didn’t just grow into the format; he tore up the old script and wrote his own. That shaky beginning was just the silence before a roaring storm called Virat Kohli!