On the second day of the ongoing second Test of the three-match series against South Africa at the MCA Stadium in Pune, the Indian skipper, Virat Kohli completed his 26th Test century to guide his team to a formidable position. He has now become the 7th highest run-scorer for India in the longest format as he surpassed Dilip Vengasarkar’s tally of 6868 runs.
Having scored 210 runs in four Tests at an average of 35 this year, Kohli was yet to score a Test century in 2019. On the first day of the Test match, Virat came in to bat at No. 4 in the 52nd over and he played with immense patience at the start of his innings. It was only on the 48th ball that he faced that he scored his first boundary via an overthrow from South Africa fast bowler Kagiso Rabada.
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Kohli is in the middle of a crucial partnership alongside his deputy Ajinkya Rahane. The duo had safely taken India to stumps on Day 1. It was on the penultimate delivery of the 81st over that Virat hit a boundary off Vernon Philander to reach his half-century.
Resuming his innings from 63* on Friday, Kohli edged a Philander delivery to earn his first boundary of the day. It was only a couple of overs later that he drove Rabada down the ground to find his rhythm. It was eventually on the fourth delivery of the 109th over that Kohli drove a Philander delivery down the ground to complete his century.
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Apart from Kohli, Rahane also completed his 20th half-century in the 106th over. Cricket fraternity applauded Kohli for scoring his first Test ton in 2019. Here are some of the reactions on Twitter:
26th Test 100 for Virat Kohli after 10 innings without one. Last 100 came at Perth in Dec 2018.
Kohli 138 inns – fourth quickest to reach 26 Test 100s after Bradman 69 inns, S Smith 121 & Tendulkar 136.#IndvSA #IndvsSA— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) October 11, 2019
Kohli & Rahane, could watch these guys bat all day #masterclass #indvsnz
— Temba Bavuma (@TembaBavuma) October 8, 2016
💯
A fine century by #TeamIndia Skipper @imVkohli. This is his 26th ton in Tests 👏👏 pic.twitter.com/1HTkBDhrOB
— BCCI (@BCCI) October 11, 2019
Virat Kohli 👑 Centuries 💯
🤝
Tell us a better love story#INDvSA #OrangeArmy #RiseWithUs
— SunRisers Hyderabad (@SunRisers) October 11, 2019
Irrepressible, unstoppable @imVkohli #26thTestcentury 👏👏
— Cricketwallah (@cricketwallah) October 11, 2019
Most Test 100s as captain:
25 – Graeme Smith (193 inns)
19* – VIRAT KOHLI (83)
19 – Ricky Ponting (140)#IndvSA— Bharath Seervi (@SeerviBharath) October 11, 2019
A 26th Test 💯 for the captain 👏#PlayBold #ViratKohli #TeamIndia #INDvsSA#Repost @icc
• • • • • •
1️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ * 👉 26th Test century
👉 69th international century
👉 12th Test century in IndiaVirat Kohli 👏👏 pic.twitter.com/rZ8sN6O9TC
— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) October 11, 2019
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) October 11, 2019
Imp 100 for @imVkohli India gradually closing in on the match. Key partnership to bat South Africa out of the game.
— Boria Majumdar (@BoriaMajumdar) October 11, 2019
Just another day at work #ViratKohli #100
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) October 11, 2019
two individual hundreds in the innings, last time India played a test at Pune they barely made team hundreds in both innings #INDvsSA
— Gaurav Kalra (@gauravkalra75) October 11, 2019
