India's most successful Test captain, Virat Kohli decided to step down from the post after his side heartbreaking loss against South Africa in the recently concluded Test series. Kohli took India's charge in the longest format of the game seven years back in 2014 and is ending his captaincy stint as fourth-most wins as Test captain in the world. The 33-year-old who is responsible for creating a crop of fast-bowlers that can help the side take 20 wickets in any condition, will now be hoping to have a good run with the bat in all three formats of the game.
Virat Kohli as captain of India in Test
Matches - 68
Wins - 40
Defeats - 17
Draws - 11
Win/Loss ratio - 2.352
Here is a look at Virat Kohli's journey as Test captain.
Most Test appearances as India Test captain
Kohli holds the record for most Test appearances as India Test captain (68) and he also holds the record for most Test wins by an Indian captain (40). Only Graeme Smith, Ricky Ponting, and Steve Waugh have won more matches than Kohli as captain in Test cricket.
Kohli had first led the side in Test cricket in 2014 against Australia. His last game as captain was the Cape Town Test in South Africa, which India lost by seven wickets. Filling the shoes of MS Dhoni was not going to be easy, but Kohli took leadership by storm, and quickly, he cemented himself as one of the best thinkers the country has seen in Test cricket.
Most Test centuries as India captain
The leadership also brought out the best in Kohli and it saw the batter registering seven double-centuries in the longest format of the game. Kohli also holds the record for scoring most Test centuries (20) as India captain.
Number 1 in ICC Ranking
It was under Kohli's leadership that India was crowned the number one Test team in the ICC Rankings for a continuous period of 42 months from October 2016 till early March 2020. Kohli's decision to leave Test captaincy comes a day after India lost the three-match Test series against South Africa on Friday.
Win Down Under and WTC Final
Virat Kohli's biggest win in the longest format came during 2018-19 as India won its first Test series Down Under. Under his captaincy, India also reached the finals of the World Test Championship (WTC).
Win in England
It is also important to note that India was almost unbeatable under Kohli in home conditions. In the four Tests that India played against England in England last year, Kohli's side went on to take a 2-1 lead and the last Test of the series will be played later this year.
Dominance at Home
Kohli has the most Test wins at home for India as captain. India's victory against New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium last year was Kohli's 24th Test win at home. Last year, Kohli had stepped down as the T20I captain and then he was removed as the ODI leader as the selectors wanted one captain for the white-ball format.
-With inputs from ANI
