Birthday-boy Virat Kohli to take 'fresh' guard at Eden Test

Virat Kohli turned 25 on Tuesday and although he got his best birthday gift on Sunday when he became the No. 1 ODI batsman according to the ICC rankings, the immensely talented batsman still has tons of promises to keep in international cricket.

At an age when foundations are built for a steady career, Kohli has already constructed a massive repute for himself. Only the third Indian batsman - behind Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar - to have attained the No. 1 ODI batsman rank, this Delhi player has matured steadily and improved dramatically.

Devastating form in ODI cricket has been an integral part of his resume. With over 1000 ODI runs against his name every year since 2011, Kohli has come a fair distance from being a talented member of India's U-19 squad. In the ensuing six years, he has gone from strength to strength - decimating oppositions around the globe with envious arrogance.

In the recent ODI series against Australia for instance, he smacked two resounding centuries. He also became the fastest Indian to the three-figure mark, breaking Virender Sehwag's four-year-old record with a crackling  52-ball century in Jaipur on October 16. Kohli is the youngest batsman to score 15 ODI centuries. (Also read: Dhoni, Kohli nominated for ICC People's Choice Award)

An average of 51.77 from 119 ODIs and as many as 17 tons to his credit, Kohli's sustained form in limited overs cricket has astounded critics as much as it has enthralled fans. His stunning form has even drawn comparisons with the legendary Sachin Tendulkar, who is on the verge of international retirement. "The manner in which Virat is batting, the record for (Tendulkar's) 49 hundreds looks possible. Now Virat needs 32 more hundreds to go and the number of ODIs Indians play he can do it. This cricketing season itself, Virat can get to 20 or 22 hundreds," Gavaskar has told NDTV after the Jaipur knock. (Watch: Gavaskar predicts Kohli can surpass Tendulkar)

But Kohli knows that to find himself in the hallowed Halls of Fame, he has to become a 'complete' cricketer. And no cricketer is complete without establishing his Test credibility. Kohli has hardly been shabby in Tests either. In fact, with four centuries and six fifties in 31 innings, he has been quite efficient in this format too. The 22nd rank here is what would need some move on. The two Tests against the West Indies, touted Tendulkar's farewell series, will be the perfect platform to take his ODI form into the longer format of the game.

No task has appeared too difficult for Kohli in the past. Therefore, improving as a Test player too is not expected to challenge him to a great extent. For someone who has been billed as the next Team India captain, Kohli's temperament and maturity has shown a great improvement in recent times. As such, the format which has long been considered as the true test of a batsman can also be one that willingly falls in Kohli's skill-set.

With no less than a dozen Tests scheduled overseas in the next year or so, Kohli will face an acid test. Form is never permanent but class is. And Kohli has proved that eloquently in recent times. Goodbye Sachin, welcome Virat!