Virat Kohli Retirement A Result Of Border-Gavaskar Trophy Flop Show? A Look At His Final Test Series

Speculation around Virat Kohli's red-ball future had been building for months and now, it has finally come to an end. The 36-year-old Indian cricketing icon has officially announced his retirement from Test cricket, marking the end of an era that saw one of the modern greats dominate the longest format of the game with unmatched passion and intensity. Kohli's final chapter in Test whites played out far from home, during a disastrous Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. Once a land of his triumphs and transformation, Australia became the backdrop to a painful farewell. His last innings was the same way of dismissal, edging behind after chasing another delivery outside off-stump from Scott Boland. Virat has witnessed it all in Australia, from coming of age to dominance to utter helplessness against forces of age, muscle memory, and time.

It was in Australia where Kohli had first announced himself in the red-ball arena a young maverick scoring centuries, confronting sledges, and leading India to a historic series win but the very venue of his rise would also script his fall.

While Kohli has dazzled in the ongoing Indian Premier League and was instrumental in India's recent ICC Champions Trophy win, guiding the team to its second white-ball trophy in less than a year.

Here is a timeline of Virat's Australia tours:

2011-12: A 23-year-old walked to the Australian shores for the first time ever with immense scrutiny on him. After managing just 202 runs in four games against the West Indies with two promising fifties at home after a disastrous Test debut in the Caribbean, an Australia tour was a make-or-break opportunity for a young Virat, surrounded by legends like Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Rahul Dravid, and Virender