Virat Kohli has confirmed his Test career is over ahead of a looming tour of England, bowing out just months after Australiaโs bowlers dominated the Indian megastar in his final series Down Under.
With the exception of a second-innings century in the first match of last seasonโs Border-Gavaskar series in Perth, 36-year-old Kohli was repeatedly lured into catches behind the wicket, struggling against Scott Boland in particular on seaming Australian pitches.
Virat Kohli has bid farewell to Test cricket.Credit: Getty Images
Boland coaxed Kohli into nicking behind or into the slips cordon in three of his last four innings, including both of what became his final Test in Sydney in January.
His last hurrah on Australian shores was underwhelming, with a return of 190 runs at 23.75 in a series that Pat Cumminsโ men won 3-1.
Kohliโs announcement via social media on Monday followed weeks of discussions between him and the Indian board about his availability for the England tour. Attempts to convince Kohli that he still had a future in Test cricket were fruitless.
โItโs been 14 years since I first wore the baggy blue in Test cricket. Honestly, I never imagined the journey this format would take me on. Itโs tested me, shaped me, and taught me lessons Iโll carry for life,โ Kohli wrote on Instagram to his 271 million followers.
โThereโs something deeply personal about playing in whites. The quiet grind, the long days, the small moments that no one sees but that stay with you forever.
โAs I step away from this format, itโs not easy โ but it feels right. Iโve given it everything I had, and itโs given me back so much more than I couldโve hoped for.
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