‘He Gave Us 60 Overs of Hell’: Pujara Pays Tribute to Kohli’s Test Legacy

Virat Kohli’s deep commitment to Test cricket and his relentless pursuit of excellence in the game’s most demanding format will be remembered as a cornerstone of his legacy, according to long-time teammate Cheteshwar Pujara. In a reflective conversation with ESPNcricinfo following Kohli’s retirement from Test cricket, Pujara celebrated the impact Kohli had on Indian cricket over a 14-year, 123-Test career.

“He paid a lot of attention to the Test format in an era where all the youngsters were looking to play more white-ball cricket,” Pujara noted. “For Virat, the ultimate format of the game was Test cricket, and for that, he worked really hard.” Pujara emphasized that Kohli’s passion wasn’t limited to his own performance—it extended to transforming the team’s culture.

A pivotal change under Kohli’s captaincy was the fitness revolution he sparked in 2015. As full-time captain, Kohli demanded a new level of physical conditioning from the squad, especially from India’s growing pace battery. “That was the time the shift came in,” said Pujara. “The entire team started working on their fitness, and at the same time, Virat was focused on making India one of the best Test teams in the world.”

Pujara also highlighted Kohli’s aggressive approach to leadership, built around taking 20 wickets to win Tests. This often meant sacrificing batting depth for an extra bowler, a strategy that sometimes cost even Pujara his spot in the XI, such as during the 2015 Sri Lanka tour. But it was always in pursuit of victory. “We weren’t there just to survive,” he said. “We were there to hunt in a pack, to take wickets at any time.”

One of the most iconic moments of Kohli’s captaincy, as Pujara recalled, came during the 2021 Lord’s Test against England. With the game seemingly drifting toward a draw, Kohli’s motivational speech to his bowlers was simple: “Give them 60 overs of hell.” India responded with a ferocious final-day performance to win the match by 151 runs—a defining statement in Kohli’s aggressive style of leadership. “That was one of the best victories I’ve been part of,” said Pujara. “It was a brave declaration and a flat pitch, but Virat believed.”

When asked to name his favourite Kohli innings, Pujara pointed to the century at Perth in 2018, during India’s historic Test series win in Australia. Although India lost that match, Pujara was awestruck by Kohli’s fearless strokeplay on a difficult pitch. “It was a fiery pitch with a lot of lateral movement, but he came out playing those straight drives, cover drives, and especially the pull shot with precision,” Pujara said. “It’s one of his finest knocks that I’ve witnessed from the other end.”

As Kohli steps away from Test cricket, Pujara’s words paint the picture of a leader who not only excelled with the bat but elevated the standards of an entire team—physically, mentally, and tactically. For a generation that grew up idolizing white-ball giants, Kohli stood firm in his belief that Test cricket was the ultimate challenge—and he shaped India’s rise in the format with unmatched passion and purpose.

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