On this day in 2014: Kohli led India first time in Test match
Dec 09, 2021
New Delhi [India], December 9 : It was on this day, seven years ago, when Virat Kohli led India for the first time in a Test match.
Kohli made his longest format captaincy debut against Australia at Adelaide Oval in the first game of the four-match Test series. India suffered a 48-run loss in that match and they were chasing 364 and looked to be on course with Murali Vijay and Kohli batting well at one stage.
The visitors were cruising but Nathan Lyon provided Australia the crucial breakthrough, dismissing Vijay for 99. After that, the Australian off-spinner simply ripped through the Indian batting line-up, picking 7/152. From being 242/3, India were dismissed for 315.
The match was also the debut for leg-spinner Karn Sharma and remains the only Test match he played. Kohli scored a ton in both the innings, but David Warner, Michael Clarke and Steve Smith were among the runs for the Aussies.
India lost the series 2-0 after losing the first two games. However, Kohli only led the country in the first and last match of the series.
This was the series in which MS Dhoni announced his retirement from the longest format of the game after the third Test against Australia.
Earlier this year, Kohli stepped down as India T20I skipper after the World Cup. On Wednesday the BCCI announced that Rohit Sharma will be taking over from Kohli as the ODI skipper as well.
The right-handed batter Kohli will continue to lead the team in the longest format.
