Virat Kohli transcended generations in his Test career. His legacy within Australia is complicated

When Virat Kohli arrived on the shores of Australia last summer, he was a fading force, unable to lift for one last series-defining innings against his fiercest rivals.

There wouldn't have been too many Australian cricket fans who were unhappy about that, although the sight of one of the greatest players of his generation in full flight is one to behold. There's something special about witnessing a cover drive that rivals the likes of Damien Martyn for one of the best ever.

But Kohli was on his last legs, and his frustration was clear amid several incidents, namely his attempt to intimidate Sam Konstas.

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Nonetheless, the public was still treated to a fine Kohli century in his final tour of Australia.

But we'll never see one again, albeit not in the whites for India after his decision to retire.

The time for reflection has now come on one of the most gifted Indian cricketers we've seen in the modern era.

In Australia, Kohli averaged 46.72 and scored seven centuries.

Wide World of Sports reflects on all seven.

2012: 116 (Adelaide Oval)

When Kohli made his first appearance in Australia, it came on Boxing Day in 2011. He disappointed with 11 and a duck. The runs continued to be hard to come by at the SCG before he showed promising signs with 44 and 75 at the WACA.

Then King Kohli arrived in Adelaide.

With Australia 3-0 up in the series, he'd just watched Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke smash double tons for a score of 7-604 declared.

His teammates' struggled and he was out there at 4-87. By the time he walked off, he was receiving a standing ovation from the Adelaide crowd.

Kohli patiently hit 116 off 213 balls and it could've been more. He was given out lbw off Ben Hilfenhaus but replays showed the ball would've missed.

While disappointed, Kohli had shown his top order batters how it's done against Peter Siddle, Ryan Harris, Nathan Lyon and Hilfenhaus.

Kohli had some nerves on 99, playing and missing to Siddle and surviving a run-out chance.

Eventually, he pushed the ball through the covers to reach the milestone, his first in Test match cricket.

Notably, Kohli was so busy celebrating that he almost missed out on a two, such was his passion and relief.

"Superb, for a guy who's desperately trying to make a difference in this Indian side," the late Tony Greig said on Nine.

After the failures of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag and VVS Laxman, the new guard of Indian cricket had officially arrived.

2014: 115 (Adelaide Oval)

Prior to this series, Black Caps great Martin Crowe penned a column for ESPNcricinfo.

"Kohli is the next chosen one. He exudes the intensity of Dravid, the audacity of Sehwag, and the extraordinary range of Tendulkar," he wrote.

Two years after his first Aussie tour and Kohli was ready for what would be the best of his career.

Once again, he watched Australia bludgeon their way to a big score in the first innings at Adelaide in the first Test of this series.

David Warner, Clarke and Steve Smith all hit tons.

This Indian batting lineup was completely different to the one that played at Adelaide last time.

Murali Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan and Cheteshwar Pujara were all at the top. Kohli came in at 2-111 and the bowling lineup now had Mitchell Johnson instead of Hilfenhaus. Mitch Marsh and Shane Watson were also part of the Aussie side.

He hit 115 and his flare at the crease was at the forefront. Whether it was through point, the covers, mid-wicket or mid-on, Kohli put the ball through all those areas. His century came from a four through mid-wicket off Marsh.

He was brought undone by a short ball from Johnson, with a beautiful diving catch taken by Harris.

"An absolute screamer," the late Shane Warne described the catch.

India finished on 444, but Kohli wasn't done.

2014: 141 (Adelaide Oval)

In the same match as before, Kohli 's India had been set a target of 364 on the final day.

It wasn't an ideal start at 2-57.

Kohli and Murali Vijay then went about rescuing their country.

Both men were in a race to the century mark and both sat on 99.

Kohli pushed Harris to mid-off and took on the fielder to reach his century and make it two tons back-to-back on his captaincy debut.

But then he watched Nathan Lyon dismiss Vijay for lbw on 99.

What's the old saying? With one comes two?

Well in this instance one brought seven.

Kohli was there as three of his teammates left until it was his time to go on 141 when he smashed a long-hop from Lyon to Marsh in the deep.

The tail offered little resistance and India were bowled out for 315 as Australia won by 48 runs and Lyon claimed seven.

2014: 169 (MCG)

A lean Test at the Gabba followed before he was back in the runs.

Smith knocked around another ton in the first innings with 192 as Australia scored 530.

Kohli watched his opposition captain and thought I have to match that. He was in at 2-108 after Brad Haddin caught a one-handed screamer to dismiss Pujara.

The trademark push through covers was out early for Kohli but he had to watch Vijay depart for 68.

It didn't stop the cover drive ... or the pull shot ... or the late cut. The wagon wheel operator is always busy when Virat's at the crease.

Then on 88, Kohli was dropped by Shane Watson at first slip off the bowling of Johnson. As you'd expect, the left-hander was furious.

Kohli watched Ajinkya Rahane move to 100 before he could but it wasn't long before the bat and helmet were raised. The milestone came with a cover drive off Lyon and it was game on.

Rahane was dismissed for 147 and that started the rot. KL Rahul, MS Dhoni and Ravi Ashwin all departed before it was Kohli gone for 149 as Haddin claimed another one-handed grab.

"That is an absolute beauty," Mark Taylor said on Nine.

India were bowled out for 465 and ultimately the match finished a draw.

2015: 147 (SCG)

There's a trend growing here. Once again, Kohli watched Smith score a ton in the first innings. Warner also hit 101 with Australia declaring at 7-572.

Kohli was in at 2-97 and first ball he was dropped by Haddin off Lyon's bowling. That same ball he slipped and was almost run out.

In a reflection of how Kohli watched the generations and events go past him, that run out was bungled by short fine leg, with the ball thrown to the keeper, when it really needed to go to the bowler. Haddin also took his time to throw it.

Captain Smith was at the bowler's end with his hands in the air, screaming "what are you doing?"

"Complete chaos," Mark Nicholas said on commentary.

Kohli clutched at his shoulder too but continued on. On 59 he was dropped by Steve Smith off Mitchell Starc.

Rahul moved to a century at the other end but was gone for 110 not long after. Kohli pushed on before surviving a close lbw shout on 98. A few balls later he drove Josh Hazlewood down the wicket to reach his milestone.

On 147 he was brought undone by a sharp Chris Rogers catch off the bowling of Harris.

The match was drawn again and Australia won the series 2-0.

2018: 123 (WACA)

In this series, Kohli was the man. He was the official leader and on a search for an historic moment as India aimed to become the first Asian team to win a series in Australia.

He struggled at Adelaide but India won.

In Perth, it was a different story on both fronts.

There was no Smith or Warner tons, as both men served bans for the ball-tampering scandal in South Africa. Tim Paine was captain. Australia scored 326 in the first innings.

India were in trouble at 2-8 when captain Kohli waltzed out. With his second ball he drove Hazlewood through mid-on for a boundary.

Interestingly, Australia's attack in 2018 mirrored the one that exists now. Starc, Hazlewood, Cummins and Lyon were the four-pronged line-up, albeit in their infancy.

They struggled to produce an answer against him.

His trademark punch down the ground against Starc brought up the century and he celebrated like Kohli does.

A point to the bat before making the talk expression with his hand.

"Superb knock by the master," Allan Border said on Fox Cricket.

A sensational catch from Peter Handscomb in the slips off Cummins dismissed him but India were in the game.

Unfortunately for him, his teammates couldn't match it. Australia won by 146 runs.

In that same Test, Kohli showed that trademark aggression, colliding with Paine while the Aussie skipper batted.

There were no more tons in this series from Kohli but there was an 82 at the MCG.

Ultimately, it was his captaincy that did the talking.

India won the series 2-1 and had made history with Pujara scoring his memorable 193 off 373 balls in the final Test. Rishabh Pant did it differently at the other end, scoring 159 off 189 balls.

2024: 100 not out (Perth)

When Kohli came into this series, the end was near. There was no doubting that.

His form in 2020, 2021 and 2022 had been terrible, with no tons. In 2023 he looked like he was back, scoring two and averaging 55.91.

In the lead-up to this series though, he'd gone 13 innings' with just one half-century.

But never count out a champion. He would've basked in the opportunity to torment Australia one more time. And that he did.

The first innings he offered nothing with 5. India were bowled out for 150 and Australia replied with 104.

Youngster Yashasvi Jaiswal had reached his ton at the other end when Kohli walked out. On 10, that beautiful on-drive was back and Pat Cummins watched his delivery go for a boundary.

The stroke-making, timing and deft touch were all back. Earlier in his innings, he was pulling Marnus Labuschagne's medium pacers to the boundary.

And then when he was on 96, Labuschagne had shifted to leg-spin but it was the same result.

He swept him to the boundary for a four and there it was, his seventh ton in Australia.

In the end it would be his last ever in Test cricket.

Legacy of the King

How Virat will be remembered in Australia depends on the recency bias of the public.

The final series wasn't a good reflection for him. His shoulder-barge of Konstas was bizarre, unnecessary and a blight on one of India's greatest.

"The one thing that came out from last summer for me was the aggression which I've always loved about Virat, and I've always been a fan of Virat Kohli, that aggression turned a bit to anger," Mark Taylor said on Nine's Wide World of Sports when speculation was rife that Kohli was about to quit.

"When I saw his run in with young Sam Konstas, I thought, that's a worry, that's a worrying sign. When aggression becomes anger, it's time to give it away. I think the timing is probably right for Virat. Not necessarily right for Indian cricket when they lose Rohit (Sharma) and Virat together."

On his final day in Test cricket, he made sandpaper gestures to the Australian crowd. Hardly the crime of the century though, and certainly some quarters of the Aussie public give as good as they can take.

In his first series, Kohli infamously flipped the bird to the crowd too.

But what Kohli should be remembered for is those fine seven innings' and the competitive grit, aggression and brilliance that defined his career.

When you read through his list of innings', you realise he transcended through generation after generation.

Tendulkar, Dravid and Laxman were all there when he arrived. He took over from MS Dhoni as captain and now he retires with the likes of Jaiswal and Shubman Gill emerging.

He forced Marnus from medium pace to leg-spin in the one innings. He was coached by Dravid before another ex-teammate Gambhir took over. He watched Australia fall apart when Smith and Warner were banned. And he played long enough for Perth to move to a new ground for him to score another ton.

Now the time is right for Kohli to go, and in Test cricket the King's reign is over.