Massive blow to Test cricket...: Moeen Ali on Virat's retirement from whites

Ahead of the five-match England tour, which will kickstart India's ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 campaign, Virat stunned the cricketing world by announcing his retirement from the format, drawing curtains to a 14-year-long, 123-match big career.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Moeen said, "It is a massive blow to Test cricket. Virat was the one pioneer, the one guy in Test cricket that always pushed the format. He has done so much for the game, especially in India. I think after Sachin, he was the guy everybody came to watch. He filled out stadiums."

Full of praise for Virat's leadership and competitiveness, Moeen said, "He had an amazing record, was a brilliant player to watch -- very competitive and a brilliant captain. The style he played with inspired many. It is a big blow not just for India, but for the game."

However, Moeen admitted that this loss of Rohit Sharma and Virat for India is a "massive boost for England".

"Two top players, who have been to England a few times on tour, so they have the experience. I remember Rohit playing really well the last time. The character they have, the leaders they are -- both of them have captained India in Test cricket -- so yeah, a massive loss for the team," he concluded.

In his Test career, the 36-year-old made 123 appearances in white clothing, scoring 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85, with 30 centuries and 31 fifties in 210 innings and the best score of 254*. He is India's fourth-highest run-getter in the format, behind Sachin Tendulkar (15,921 runs), Rahul Dravid (13,265 runs) and Sunil Gavaskar (10,122 runs).

He made his Test debut in June 2011 against the West Indies. While his first Test tour was a massive disappointment with just 76 runs in five innings, a young Virat made a name for himself with some serious, counter-attacking knocks in the coming days. His rise as a Test player started with his maiden ton against Australia at Adelaide in 2012, when he made 116 in 213 balls. In a tour where no other could touch 300 runs for India and giants like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, and Virender Sehwag looked a shadow of their dominant selves, Virat top-scored for India with 300 runs in four Tests, including a century and fifty.

Between 2011 to 2015, he made 2,994 runs in 41 Tests at an average of 44.03, with 11 centuries and 12 fifties in 72 innings.

Between 2016 to 2019, Virat had one of the strongest batting primes ever for a Test cricketer, piling up 4,208 runs in 43 Tests at an average of 66.79, with 16 centuries and 10 fifties in 69 innings and the best score of 254*. This also included seven double centuries, most by a captain in Test cricket history.

However, the 2020s have not been great for the superstar batter, having made just 2,028 runs in 39 Tests at an underwhelming average of 30.72, with just three centuries and nine fifties to show in 69 innings. His numbers received a boost from a fine 2023, where he made 671 runs in eight Tests at an average of 55.91, with two centuries and two fifties in 12 innings.

During this whole time frame, Virat battled some notable weaknesses in the format, notably against deliveries outside the off-stump line and against spinners. He ended last year with just 382 runs in 10 Tests at a shocking average of 22.47, with just one century and fifty in 19 innings. His last Test outing was the Border-Gavaskar Trophy tour to Australia from November-January, where he made just 190 runs in nine innings at an average of 23.75, with his century at Perth being a highlight.

That century was his first since July 2023, when he hit a ton against the West Indies at Port of Spain in 2023. Also, his last century at home came against Australia in early 2023 during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at Ahmedabad.