The Indian skipper, Rohit Sharma, and his predecessor, Virat Kohli will have a battle within a battle when India will be locking horns with Sri Lanka in the pink-ball Test from March 12 in Bengaluru. India has so far played 3 day-night Tests, winning 2 at home and losing the one which they played in Australia, losing the Adelaide Test after getting bundled out for a meager score of 36 in the second innings.
Virat Kohli is the leading Indian batter with the most runs in the pink-ball Tests. The former skipper has scored 241 runs in 4 innings in pink-ball Tests at an average of 60.25. Kohli is the only Indian batter with a century in pink-ball Tests as he scored 136 against Bangladesh in India’s innings victory in Kolkata, their maiden day-night affair at home. Notably, it was also the last time Virat Kohli scored a century in international cricket.
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In his 100th Test, Virat Kohli got off to a good start but he eventually got dismissed at 45 by Lasith Embuldeniya in Mohali last week. However, India managed to win the landmark Test by an innings and 222 runs. On the elite list, Rohit Sharma is at the 2nd spot with 112 runs in 2 Tests.
Rohit Sharma played a knock of 66 in India’s last day-night fixture which came against England in Ahmedabad last year. He has an opportunity to overtake Kohli, provided the skipper goes big and, in the pink-ball Test and makes up for his ordinary performance with the bat in the first Test.
Most runs for India in Pink-ball Tests
- Virat Kohli – 241 in 3 Tests
- Rohit Sharma – 112 in 2 Tests
- Ajinkya Rahane – 100 in 3 Tests
- Cheteshwar Pujara – 98 in 3 Tests
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Meanwhile, Virat Kohli, who became only the 6th Indian baiter to got past the tally of 8000 Test runs in Mohali, has an opportunity to go past Australia great Mark Waugh who finished with 8029 runs as the India batter needs 23 runs to do. Kohli is also 25 runs behind legendary Gary Sobers on the elite list.
In the bowling department, R Ashwin, who went past Kapil Dev’s tally of wickets in the all-time list to become the 2nd most successful Indian Test bowler, has an opportunity to equal Anil Kumble’s record for the greatest number of 5-wicket hauls for India in home Tests.
Ashwin, who has scalped 306 Test wickets at home, 44 less than Anil Kumble, has 24 5-wicket hauls in Indian conditions. Kumble tops the list with 25 5-wicket hauls.
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Most 5-wicket hauls for India at home Tests
- Anil Kumble – 25 in 63 matches
- R Ashwin – 24 in 50 matches
- Harbhajan Singh – 18 in 55 matches
- Kapil Dev – 11 in 65 matches
