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Senior batsman Virat Kohli will have to shoulder a lot of responsibility during India’s Test series in the West Indies, which begins at Windsor Park in Dominica on Wednesday, July 12.
The 34-year-old is the most experienced batsman in the Indian team. Having played 109 Test matches, he scored 8,479 runs at an average of 48.72, with 28 hundreds and even fifties.
However, Kohli does not have a great Test record in the West Indies. In nine matches in the Caribbean, he scored 463 runs at an average of 35.61. Of these runs, 200 came in one innings during the 2016 Test at North Sound. He will therefore be keen to improve his West Indies red-ball record on the running tour.
However, returning to the West Indies remains special for the seasoned batter for a different reason. It was here that he made his Test debut in June 2011.
How Virat Kohli made his Test debut for the West Indies
Kohli made his Test debut for Kingston in the first Test of the three-match series during the 2011 tour. It was not a memorable first match for the right-handed batsman. He was dismissed for 4 in the first innings, caught while bowling a loose stroke off the off-stump bowling of Fidel Edwards.
There was not much joy for the beginners in the second innings either. Kohli was caught by a short ball from Edwards for 15. While the umpire raised a finger, the batsman was not convinced by the umpire and expressed his disappointment.
While Kohli failed to make an impact in his Test debut, the visitors went on to win the match by 63 runs. India scored 246, batting first after winning the toss with Suresh Raina hitting 82 and Harbhajan Singh 70. As for the West Indies trooper, Edwards took 4/56, while Ravi Rampaul (3/59) and Devendra Bishu (3/75) also impressed .
India’s bowlers did well in restricting the West Indies to 173 in 67.5 overs. Pacer Praveen Kumar, also making his debut, claimed 3/38, while Ishant Sharma took 3/29. Spinners Amit Mishra (2/51) and Harbhajan (2/51) also did a good job.
Rahul Dravid, the current coach of the Indian team, scored his hundred in the second half. He saw 112 visitors post 252 and set a target of 326 for the West Indies. India’s bowlers once again stood by and held the Windies to 262. Kumar (3/42), Ishant (3/81), and Mishra (2/62) bowled again, while Harbhajan and Raina claimed one scalp each. .
Thus Kohli started his Test career with a victory although he could not make a significant contribution.
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