IND vs AUS: Virat Kohli's Unique Feat That No Indian Captain Has Ever Achieved Down Under

The India vs Australia rivalry is one that has broken barriers across formats. Yes, there is the Ashes and IND vs PAK but this one is something else. Particularly when we beat the Aussies Down Under. But in the history of India’s tours to Australia, there is only one Indian skipper who has won a Test, ODI and T20I series. No, it’s not MS Dhoni. Yes, we are speaking of Virat Kohli.

Virat Kohli 1st Indian Skipper to Win Test Series in Australia

In 2018-19, Kohli led India on a four-match Test tour of Australia. Before that, India’s best performances in a Test series was a 0-0 draw in 1985-86 and a 1-1 draw in 2003-04. That was to change as Kohli’s Team India won 2-1. The fourth Test in 2019 ended in a draw due to rain and as a result India had won their first Test series win on Australian soil.

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Virat Kohli 1st Indian Skipper to Win ODI Series in Australia

But Kohli was not done as skipper yet. In early 2019, under his leadership, India won the ODI series 2-1. It was India’s first bilateral ODI series win in Australia. Dhoni had won a tri-series in 2008 and Sunil Gavaskar led India to a multi-nation tournament win in 1985 but this was the first bilateral ODI series victory. So it was two out of two for Kohli.

Virat Kohli Leads India to T20I Series Win in Australia

Fast forward to 2020 and Kohli’s Men in Blue defeated Australia 2-1 in the T20I series in their own den. With that, Kohli completed the distinction of being the only skipper to win a Test, ODI and T20I series Down Under. In 2019, he also led them to a 1-1 draw in the T20Is. In fact, India have never lost a T20I bilateral series in Australia. They lost a one-off game in 2008. But Kohli was not the first Indian captain to win a T20I series in Australia. That honour goes to Dhoni whose side won a whitewash by a margin of 3-0 in 2016.

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India’s Report Card in Australia

Overall, India have won two Test series, one ODI series and two T20I series Down Under. India’s first multi-nation ODI win came in the 1985 World Championship of Cricket and in 2008 they won the tri-series that also involved Sri Lanka.

Their latest Test series ended in a 3-1 defeat and the ODIs were lost 2-1. The ongoing T20I series is currently locked 1-1 with two games to go.

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Virat Kohli’s Report Card as India Skipper

Kohli was India’s most successful skipper in Tests with 40 wins in 68 games. In ODIs, he won 65 out of 95 while in T20Is the tally is 30 victories in 50 matches. At the international level, Kohli’s winning rate is 63.38%. That puts him right up there with the best.

He may not have won an ICC event though he did lead India to the first-ever World Test Championship Final in 2021. But he was a leader from the front and led by example. Kohli the skipper was no less deadly than Kohli the player. Now he plays neither Tests nor T20Is and is nearing the end of his ODI career as well. The legacy he shall leave behind is second to none.