Nice for Virat Kohli to be able to get that hundred at the start of the series- Rahul Dravid (Source: Twitter)
Former India head coach Rahul Dravid praised Virat Kohli after the legendary batter scored a brilliant century in the second innings of the first Test of the series against Australia at the Optus Stadium in Perth. According to fans and experts, this was a much-needed innings for Kohli as his form in red-ball cricket had been under the scanner for quite some time.
Kohli ended his Test century drought of over 500 days as he scored an unbeaten 100* off 143 deliveries. Notably, his sublime knock included eight fours and two sixes. His aggressive knock helped India score some quick runs and gave them an opportunity to have a crack at the Australian batters in the closing moments of the post-Tea session on Day 3.
In the aftermath, the hosts lost three wickets before Stumps and eventually suffered a 295-run defeat, getting bowled out for 238 on Day 4. Reflecting on Kohli’s knock, the former India Head Coach, Rahul Dravid, said that a century in the first Test for the former India captain will stand him in good stead in the five-match series.
“He has been batting really well, even in South Africa months ago when we were there, I thought he was batting really well on a couple of difficult wickets. It is just nice for him to be able to get that hundred at the start of the series. I think he could have a big series,” Dravid said while speaking to Star Sports.
Kohli surpassed Tendulkar’s 100 international centuries record
Virat Kohli smashed his 81st century in international cricket as he continues his pursuit of surpassing Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 100 international centuries. The 36-year-old has now amassed 9,145 runs from 119 Tests at an average of 48.13. He has notched up 31 half-centuries and 30 centuries in the longest format of the game.
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The second Test will get underway on Friday, December 6, at the Adelaide Oval. This is a pink-ball Test, India’s first since March 2022. Kohli has a phenomenal record at the Adelaide Oval as he has scored 973 runs from 11 innings at an average of 73.61. He will look to continue his love affair with the venue when India and Australia resume their rivalry next month.