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Virat Kohli on Friday ended a five-year long wait for a Test ton in overseas conditions. That it came in his 500th international match, which is also India’s 100th Test match against West Indies, made the occasion extra special. The 121-run knock at Port Of Spain, Trinidad, was also Kohli’s 76th international ton. He thus became the new record holder of most tons in the first 500 international matches, surpassing Tendulkar’s record of 75 tons. It was Kohli’s 29th Test ton, equalling the record of Don Bradman. Interestingly, Sachin Tendulkar also got the 29th of his 51 Test centuries in Port of Spain.
2002: #SachinTendulkar scores his 29th Test century at Queen’s Park Oval.
2023: #ViratKohli scores his 29th Test century at Queen’s Park Oval.
Following the Master Blaster’s to greatness #WIvIND #JioCinema #SabJawaabMilenge pic.twitter.com/poB67JPH9P
— JioCinema (@JioCinema) July 21, 2023
Kohli, who missed out on a hundred in the previous Test, made a polished 121 in 206 balls, his 29th in the longest format, getting on even keel with none other than the legendary Sir Donald Bradman.
Interestingly, Kohli’s blistering ton also has some similarities with Sunil Gavaskar as back in 1983 when India were playing their 50th Test against West Indies, the legendary batter had played a knock of 121 runs. Now after 40 years, India played their 100th Test against West Indies and Kohli smashed exactly 121 runs.
In the process, he also added 159 runs for the fifth wicket with Ravindra Jadeja (61 off 152 balls), who also scored his 19th half-century in Tests.
Starting the day at 87, Kohli reached his century in the first half an hour while dispatching a Roach delivery wide of point with a stretched square drive. The wide grin while raising his bat and then taking a bow said it all.
The satisfaction of scoring his first overseas Test hundred in half a decade was palpable, having last scored a ton on foreign soil in Perth in 2018.
The Queens Park Oval track is certainly way better for strokeplay compared to first Test venue of Windsor Park in Dominica. One could hit through the line even though there were deliveries that were gripping off the surface and some that stopped and came onto the bat.
Kohli’s greatness lay in his game awareness as the cornerstone of his innings was 45 singles and 13 doubles in energy sapping conditions.
He would be pleased because as many as nine of his 11 boundaries were hit on the off-side with the signature cover drive coming out of his closet time and again.
With PTI inputs
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