Key Points

It has been two days since Virat penned a heartfelt note to bring the curtains down on his illustrious adventures in Test cricket. While some try to fathom Virat's decision, others relive the ecstacy engulfing them through highlights of some of his memorable knocks.

Virat was an unstoppable force on home strip and his exploits in unfamiliar overseas conditions found a special place in the hearts of die-hard cricket fans. From his twin centuries in Adelaide in 2014 to the blockbuster 153 in Centurion in 2018, Virat engraved the formula of scoring runs in his approach.

Even though his last tour in Australia wasn't what he is known for, the Indian batting bigwig's comprehensive numbers remain unparalleled. In South Africa, Virat made nine Test appearances and racked up 891 runs at 49.45, laced with two centuries and four fifties.

The flamboyant star ended his career as the second-highest run-getter for India in South Africa, behind the legendary Sachin Tendulkar's 1,161 runs in 15 Tests. He also has the second-highest centuries by an Indian batter next to Sachin's five.

In England, Virat struck in 17 Tests and scored 1,096 runs at an average of 33.21, including two centuries and five half-centuries. The batting maestro finished as India's fourth-highest run-getter in England next to Sachin (1,575 runs in 17 matches), Rahul Dravid (1,376 runs in 13 matches) and Sunil Gavaskar (1,152 runs in 16 matches).

Virat was likely to break some new records if he had played England next month.

For Virat, New Zealand remained a territory that he couldn't venture far into. He played just four Tests on the Blackcaps territory and piled up 252 runs at 36.00, with a century and fifty each.

Of the four SENA nations, Australia remained the favourite playground for the former Indian Test skipper. In 18 Tests, Virat scored ferociously and tallied 1,542 runs at an average of 46.72, with seven centuries and four fifties. He is the second-highest run-getter in Australia after Sachin (1,809 in 20 Tests) for India.

Overall, in 48 SENA Tests, Virat made 3,781 runs at 41.54, with 12 centuries and 14 fifties. He is third in the list, with Sachin (5,387 runs in 63 Tests) and Dravid (3,909 runs in 46 Tests) being the only stalwarts ahead of him for India. He has the second-highest number of centuries by an Indian in SENA conditions, next to Sachin's 17.

Virat's career has been defined by the way he dazzled on the ground to contribute to India's victory. The seasoned batter has the most runs in SENA countries in winning cause, with 811 runs from 10 matches at an average of 42.68, with two centuries and four fifties.

During India's famous tour of Australia in 2014-15, Virat piled up 692 runs in four matches at a staggering average of 86.50, with four centuries and a fifty and shattered the record for the most number of runs by an Indian on a SENA tour.

In SENA countries, Virat captained 24 matches, won seven, the most by an Indian captain in SENA, and lost 14. He was the first Indian captain to win a series in Australia in Tests 2-1.

- ANI