Then came December 2014. In the first Test of the series, Kohli, standing in for an injured MS Dhoni, made his captaincy debut. What followed were twin centuries — 115 and 141 — in a match remembered for Kohli’s fearless counterattack against the Aussie quicks. A particularly hostile bouncer from Mitchell Johnson seemed to awaken something in him. He answered not with words, but with runs, launching into the likes of Johnson, Siddle, Harris, and Lyon with supreme intent. His 141 in the fourth innings — while chasing 364 — didn’t result in a win, but it signalled the rise of a new kind of Indian leader, one who refused to settle for draws.
