Virat Kohli's Stats Analysis - Test Matches
The void left in the Indian line-up after the retirement of Sunil Gavaskar in 1987 was assumed to stay that way. A player of towering achievements, his replacement was hard to spot. But within a matter of 2 years, a curly haired genius strolled on to the national stadium in Karachi in what was to be the first of his eventual 200 Test appearances.
Sachin Tendulkar, it seemed, was lurking somewhere, waiting for his chance to take the place of the fellow Mumbaikar.
Fast forward to 2012, and it's Sachin who is struggling for form, waiting for someone to take the mantle from him and a certain Virat Kohli grabs it from his mentor and we all know how far he has come with it.
It's amazing how there has never been a dearth of (super?) heroes in this sport. Such is the talent that brims across this country's expanse, that one feels there is always a champion in the making, waiting to take his place in the pantheon of the greats (Prithvi Shaw comes to mind, right?).
Nevertheless, this article focusses its attention on Virat Kohli, the man who has set records ablaze like no other. What makes him the best batsman in the world sheer consistency across formats which is exhibited (albeit to a lesser degree) only by Kane Williamson amongst his peers.
Enough has been said for Kohli's incredible one day record, but his Test exploits have been equally trailblazing off late. Here, we analyze his Test career as it has spanned so far.
Test Career Progression
Virat Kohli made his Test debut vs West Indies at Kingston in 2011. His Test career got off to a slow start, as he took 13 innings to register his first Test century (116 vs Australia, Adelaide). He was amongst the runs from here on until Aug 2014, till when he averaged less than 40.
Perhaps the turning point in his career came during the 2014/15 tour to Australia, where he salvaged some pride in spite of a series loss (2-0); scoring 692 runs including 4 centuries.
The chasm is evident, starting from the tour down under, Kohli has been in terrific form averaging almost 66 in 40 Tests. But what's most evident is his conversion rate from 50s to 100. In the 26 instances of him crossing 50, 17 times (65.4%) he has converted that into a 100. That is almost unheard of.