You look at Virat Kohli and you see energy all the time. And yet, Virat Kohli, when he is batting, is a different entity. He is almost lost in his own perfection.
-Harsha Bhogle, The Test (Amazon Prime Video, 2020)
Kohli’s start in Test cricket, however, was less than perfect. In his first three matches, away against the West Indies in June-July, 2011, he scored only 76 runs (in five innings). This led to him being dropped for the series in England in July-August. Though he was later called up as a replacement for the injured Yuvraj Singh, Kohli did not play in the Test series. But, his form in limited overs cricket got him another shot at Tests later in the year. The West Indies was once again the opposition, but this time at home.
The 23-year-old was competing against Yuvraj for the No 6 position and did not get to play in the first two matches. After India won both and claimed the series, Kohli was given an opportunity in the final Test. He took it, scoring 50s in both innings. The next stop was Australia. In the first Test in Melbourne, in December 2011, Kohli scored 11 and zero, as Australia won by 122 runs. In the second Test in Sydney, in January 2012, it was 23 and nine; Australia won by an innings and 68 runs.
This story is from the January 30, 2022 edition of THE WEEK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the January 30, 2022 edition of THE WEEK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Trump And The Crisis Of Liberalism
Although Donald Trump's election to a non-consecutive second term to the US presidency is not unprecedented—Grover Cleveland had done it in 1893—it is nevertheless a watershed moment.
What Will It Take To Clean Up Delhi Air?
IT IS ASKED, year after year, why Delhi’s air remains unbreathable despite several interventions to reduce pollution.
Men eye the woman's purse
A couple of months ago, I chanced upon a young 20-something man at my gym walking out with a women’s sling bag.
When trees hold hands
A filmmaker explores the human-nature connect through the living root bridges
Ms Gee & Gen Z
The vibrant Anuja Chauhan and her daughter Nayantara on the generational gap in romance writing
Vikram Seth-a suitable man
Our golden boy of literature was the star attraction at the recent Shillong Literary Festival in mysterious Meghalaya.
Superman bites the dust
When my granddaughter Kim was about three, I often took her to play in a nearby park.
OLD MAN AND THE SEA
Meet G. Govinda Menon, the 102-year-old engineer who had a key role in surveying the Vizhinjam coast in the 1940s, assessing its potential for an international port
Managing volatility: smarter equity choices in uncertain markets
THE INDIAN STOCK MARKET has delivered a strong 11 per cent CAGR over the past decade, with positive returns for eight straight years.
Investing in actively managed low-volatility portfolios keeps risks at bay
AFTER A ROARING bull market over the past year, equity markets in the recent months have gone into a correction mode as FIIs go on a selling spree. Volatility has risen and investment returns are hurt.
