Virat Kohli just 102 runs away from breaking Brian Lara’s Adelaide record!

Virat Kohli just 102 runs away from breaking Brian Lara’s Adelaide record! (Source – Getty Images)

The spirited Indian team romped through Australia’s Perth pride by demolishing them with an emphatic 295-run victory in the first Test of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT 2024-25). Apart from how the other batters and the Indian bowling unit performed, one thing which became the debate on the Australian shores was the star batter Virat Kohli’s magnificent century.

Notably, Kohli had been going through a lean patch in recent months. However, when it mattered the most, the Indian batting stalwart made a stunning comeback by remaining unbeaten in what was a tricky Perth surface which played possums with both teams throughout the match. Notably, after getting out cheaply in the first innings, Kohli made quick amends and scored an unbeaten 100* off 143 balls to put Team India in a commanding position against Australia, as the hosts were set a daunting target of over 500 runs.

In the aftermath, the Jasprit Bumrah-led side tormented the Aussie batting lineup and breached the Perth fortress with sheer ease. However, the second Test which is to be played in Adelaide, will be a day-night Pink ball Test match. Hence, the conditions will be quite tough for a batter as bowlers have historically enjoyed bowling with the pink ball. But Kohli amid all the odds will hope to continue his batting mojo in the series ahead.

In doing so, Virat Kohli will have a chance to etch his name yet again in the record books. Notably, the second Test which will commence on December 6, will have the record of the former West Indies Captain and batting legend, Brian Lara, in the limelight. For the uninitiated, Lara scored 610 runs at the Adelaide Oval, which is the most by a visiting batter at the iconic Australian venue. Speaking of Kohli’s credentials at the venue, the modern-day legend has accumulated 509 runs so far.

Therefore, if Kohli goes on to smash another century (102 runs) in the upcoming fixture and adds another two runs to the landmark three-digit figure, he will go past Brian Lara’s record. Furthermore, during his next batting outing, if the Delhi-based batter scores 93 runs, then he will leapfrog the former England legend, Jack Hobbs, who has 602 runs to his name at this venue. In fact, the moment Kohli scores 44 runs, he will surpass the legendary Sir Vivian Richards‘ record (552 runs) in the process. Fascinating enough, if Kohli scores another hundred, then he will also whiz past Hobbs for scoring most centuries by a visiting batter in Adelaide. Currently, both Kohli and Hobbs are tied at three centuries at the iconic venue.

Kohli broke the record of Hobbs for most centuries in Australia

Earlier, during the Perth Test, he scored his 10th century in Australia considering all the formats, which means that he became the batter with the most centuries in the oz land. While in the Test format, this was his seventh (7th) Test hundred. With this, Kohli broke the long-standing record of none other than Hobbs, who has scored nine centuries against Australia in their backyard. As things stand, currently, Team India are leading the BGT 2024-25 Test series by a 1-0 margin.

Players with the most runs scored at the Adelaide Oval in the Test format