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1. Virat Kohli: 153, Centurion
South Africa managed 335 in their first innings, a good total considering the potent pace bowling unit of the home side. The Proteas fast bowlers waded in with gusto and wickets were falling at regular intervals. But Virat Kohli was India's immovable force. His 153 off 217 balls carried India to 307, 28 adrift of SA's total. But the knock went in vain as India collapsed in the second innings to lose the Test and the series.
2. Virat Kohli: 149, Birmingham
Similar to his Cape Town innings, Kohli was the last man to dismiss in India's first innings. After restricting England to 287 in their first dig, Kohli carried the burden of carrying the India innings on his shoulders. The importance of Kohli's innings is evident from the fact that the next highest individual score was Shikhar Dhawan's 26. But again like what had happened in Cape Town, India collapsed while chasing and lost the Test by 31 runs.
3. Virat Kohli, 97 & 103, Nottingham
In the first innings, Kohli had to ensure that India reach a competitive total for their bowlers to defend and the Delhi man did it with a 97 to carry his side to 329. Inspired by Hardik Pandya's five-wicket haul, India then bowled out England for 161 to take a 168-run lead. Kohli's duty this time was to press home the advantage and he did that with perfection, a classy 103. India won the match by 203 runs.
4. Virat Kohli: 123, Perth
For the third time in 2018, the genius of Kohli carried India along but never really managed to get the result they wanted owing to a second innings collapse. On a spicy, spiteful wicket, Kohli dished out a masterclass in how to play extreme pace and the canny off-spin of Nathan Lyon. It was his 25th Test hundred and Kohli became the second fastest batsman to reach the milestone in 127 innings behind Don Bradman (68 innings). But the Test ended in a 146-run defeat of India.
5. Cheteshwar Pujara: 132 n.o., Southampton
Pujara has been a dominant force at home but away from home the right-hander has been a middling force. But the Saurashtra man took a giant step towards gaining balance with a brilliant hundred at Southampton, a knock that gave India the first innings lead. However, in a year that saw more than one second innings collapse it was par for the course that India were bundled out for 184 chasing 245.
6. Rishabh Pant: 114, Oval
India were chasing a massive 464 to win and were reeling at 121 for five and it seemed just a matter of time before the visitors folded up. But Pant in the company of KL Rahul ripped into England attack to add 204 runs for the sixth wicket. The knock was the example of the never-say-die spirit of the youth and gave India glimmer of an improbable win. But eventually India fell short by 118 runs.
7. Cheteshwar Pujara: 123, 71, Adelaide
The Adelaide pitch was slower and tough one to score on but Pujara mastered the deck impeccably to score 123 and the next score in Indian innings was Rohit Sharma's cavalier 37. After taking a slender 15-run innings lead, it was imperative for India to produce a good innings and Pujara once again led the show with a composed 71 in the company of an equally solid Ajinkya Rahane. Pujara helped India set a healthy 323-run target and squeezed home by 31 runs. The margin testified to the significance of Pujara's knocks.
8. Prithvi Shaw: 134, Rajkot
The opposition was not very challenging for the young Prithvi Shaw. But it was his debut Test innings. Shaw, however, tamed the West Indies and expectations on him with a sparkling 134 of 154 balls with 19 fours. The knock announced the arrival of another batting star in India's horizon.
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