“At no point did we not think about chasing the score down” - When Virat Kohli almost pulled off a 364-run target in 2014-15 BGT
Virat Kohli is widely recognized as Team India's greatest-ever Test captain, as he boasts the most Test wins among Indian captains with 40 in only 68 games. Yet, his most memorable moment as India's Test captain for most fans came in his first-ever match leading the side in the 2014-15 Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Standing in for regular captain MS Dhoni, Kohli was India's skipper for the series opener against Australia in Adelaide. The now-35-year-old was immidiately buoyed by captaincy as he scored a brilliant 115 in the first innings to help India reach 444 in response to Australia's 517.
However, the best was yet to come, as India, set a daunting target of 364 on the final day, surprised everyone by going for the win instead of settling for a draw. Kohli led the charge with a magnificent 175-ball 141 to help India reach 242/2 in the 70th over.
Yet, Aussie off-spinner Nathan Lyon sparked an untimely collapse and India fell short of their target by 48 runs after being bowled out for 315. Despite the loss, Kohli earned a lot of respect from home and other fans for his positive approach of going for the win.
When asked about the same post-match, he responded as quoted by ESPN Cricinfo:
"At no point did we not think about chasing the score down. We have come here to play positive cricket. No sort of negativity is welcome in this group. That's the kind of belief we have come here with. This has been one of our strongest performances overseas in the past two-three years, and I am really proud the way the boys played in this game. Showed a lot of heart and a lot of character."
He added:
"At no point did I think we had to pull out of the chase. I always believed that I could do it along with the tail as well. We played the kind of cricket we wanted to play. Wins and losses are part of this game. We didn't play for a draw. We played for a win. We lost. No problem."
While Dhoni returned as captain for the following two Tests, he announced his retirement from the longest format after the third Test in Melbourne.
Kohli was then appointed the permanent Test captain from the series finale at Sydney.
Virat Kohli led India to their first Test series win in Australia in 2018-19
Despite the 2024-15 Border-Gavaskar Trophy ending in a 0-2 defeat for India, it spurred them to turn things around against the Aussies in the Test format.
Led by Virat Kohli, India won their first-ever Test series in Australia in the following tour in 2018-19. The Asian giants dominated the series by winning the first and third Tests and were in dominant position in the final Test before settling for a draw and a 2-1 win.
They followed that triumph with another 2-1 win in the next Australian tour in 2020/21 and have overall won the last four Test series against their arch-rivals.
The two teams will meet in a five-match Test series, starting in Perth on November 22.