Virat Kohli's Greatest Test Match - Adelaide Masterclass Or Johannesburg Resistance

As Virat Kohli draws the curtains on a glorious Test career, memories of his defining knocks echo louder than ever. Across 123 matches, 9,230 runs, and 30 centuries, Kohli wasn’t just a run-machine — he was the heartbeat of India’s fight in foreign lands.

Among his long list of red-ball gems, two twin-innings performances — Johannesburg 2013 and Adelaide 2014 — stand as towering monuments to his greatness, albeit shaped by different conditions and circumstances.

Johannesburg, 2013: 119 & 96 vs South Africa

In Johannesburg, 2013, Kohli was still carving his place in India’s Test line-up. On his first tour to South Africa, against a fiery trio of Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, and Vernon Philander, Kohli walked into the cauldron that was the Wanderers pitch and emerged a composed warrior.

His 119 in the first innings was a masterclass in control and adaptability. Navigating steep bounce and relentless pace, Kohli stood firm as wickets tumbled around him.

The precision in his back-foot play, the patience outside off-stump, and the occasional counter-punch against Steyn highlighted a maturity beyond his experience.

He returned in the second innings and came agonisingly close to a second hundred, falling for 96, but by then he had already announced himself — not as a prodigy, but as a proper Test match batsman, capable of thriving under pressure, far from home.

Adelaide, 2014: 115 & 141 vs Australia

Contrast that with Adelaide, 2014 — a year later, and Kohli had grown not just in stature, but responsibility. With MS Dhoni injured, he was named stand-in captain for the first Test of the series.

And he responded like few in world cricket can: by leading from the front with 115 in the first innings and a swashbuckling 141 in the second.

While the Johannesburg knock was about technical finesse, Adelaide was about intent, aggression, and leadership. His first innings was fluent, but it was the second that burned itself into memory.

Chasing 364, Kohli counterattacked — pulling, driving, and skipping down the pitch with fearless urgency. Even as wickets kept falling at the other end, he kept India alive in the hunt.

The heartbreak came late — his dismissal sparked a collapse that saw India fall 48 runs short — but the message was clear: Kohli doesn’t play for draws. He plays to win.

If Johannesburg was about crafting credibility, Adelaide was about defining a legacy. The two innings, played under vastly different circumstances — one as a promising batsman under pressure, the other as a captain fuelling belief — reflect Kohli’s evolution in Test cricket.