Indian skipper Virat Kohli is continuing his phenomenal batting form as he registered his third century in consecutive Test innings.
Virat also scored his 3rd century for the ongoing Test series against Sri Lanka at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium in New Delhi on Saturday. He had scored centuries in the first Test at Eden Gardens and then in Nagpur, which was a double hundred.
Playing at his home turf, Kohli was in complete control of his innings as he didn’t play any lose shot against the Sri Lanka bowlers. He dominated proceedings and reached the hundred in just 110 balls, making this knock his fastest Test century. He hit 14 boundaries in his innings. This was his 13th hundred as the India skipper and the first at this home ground.
The run machine continues. Three consecutive 100s for @imVkohli #INDvSL pic.twitter.com/sevr4oLuid
— BCCI (@BCCI) December 2, 2017
During his 20th Test century, Virat also surpassed the landmark of 5000 Test runs, only the 10th Indian batsman to cross that milestone. He is the fourth fastest Indian batsman to reach the landmark after Sunil Gavaskar, Virender Sehwag and Sourav Ganguly.
Kohli has been in brilliant form in 2017 and this was his fourth century against Sri Lanka this year in Tests. He had scored a hundred against Sri Lanka at Galle earlier this year. The other three centuries came in this series. For Kohli, this year started with a double century against Bangladesh before runs dried up. India will now travel to South Africa for a long tour in January.
5000 and counting… #KingKohli @imVkohli pic.twitter.com/Mn2uRCzad7
— BCCI (@BCCI) December 2, 2017
Kohli has played 15 Test innings in 2017 and scored 866* runs. Even in this series, Kohli is the leading run-getter with more than 450 runs. His double hundred against Sri Lanka in Nagpur was his fifth for India and fifth as India skipper. No other Indian captain has more double centuries. Kohli didn’t eat up many balls and his strike-rate remained in the higher 80s.
Kohli now has scored 11 international centuries in a season – one less than Sachin Tendulkar’s 12. His century off 110 balls and the half-century off 52 deliveries were his individual fastest milestones in this format.
The 5000 Test runs came in 105th innings, which is the fourth fastest among the Indian batsmen after Sunil Gavaskar (95 innings), Virender Sehwag (98 innings) and Sachin Tendulkar (103 innings).
Kohli also became third in conversion rate behind Don Bradman and George Headley, in terms of 50 to 100, with a percentage of 58.82%.
