Perth (Australia): Virat Kohli added another feather in his cap as he became the Indian player with the most Test centuries in Australia. He achieved this significant landmark during the first Test of the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024 at Optus Stadium here on Sunday, November 24, 2024.
Kohli smashed eight fours and two sixes during his unbeaten 100 off 143 balls. Kohli now has seven Test hundreds under his kitty in 27 innings in Australia. He surpassed Sachin Tendulkar's tally of six centuries. With this ton, Kohli now has the second joint-most Test hundreds in Australia with former England cricketer Wally Hammond, who has achieved this feat in 35 innings. Jack Hobbs leads the list with nine centuries.
Hello Australia 🇦🇺
— BCCI (@BCCI) November 24, 2024
KING KOHLI has brought up his 7th Test century on Aussie soil and second at the Perth Stadium. A classic knock from the champion batter 🫡🫡
Live - https://t.co/gTqS3UPruo… #AUSvIND | @imVkohli pic.twitter.com/QHMm7vrhcw
This is Kohli’s 10th hundred across formats in Australia, the most by a visiting batter.
With this century, he also surpassed Australia great Sir Don Bradman's Test centuries tally of 30 Test hundreds and became the 17th overall batter to reach this incredible milestone. He also became the only fourth Indian to achieve this remarkable feat.
Test Century No.30!
— BCCI (@BCCI) November 24, 2024
All hail, King Kohli 🫡👏👌
Live - https://t.co/gTqS3UPruo…… #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/VkPr1YKYoR
This is also his 81st century in international cricket that took even closer to Tendulkar's tally of 100 centuries.
Earlier, he reached the fifty run-mark in 94 balls. With his fifty, Kohli closed in on Sachin Tendulkar for the most 50+ scores in Australia. This was Kohli's 11th 50+ score vs Australia, which falls 2 behind Sachin Tendulkar's record of 13. Sachin, the all-time high-scorer for India against Australia hit 6 hundreds and 7 fifties Down Under.
Kohli waited for 492 days to score the next Test century. He scored his last century against West Indies in Port of Spain in 2023. He amassed 212 runs against West Indies on 20 July 2023.
Visiting batters with most Test hundreds in Australia
9 - Jack Hobbs
7 - Wally Hammond
7 - Virat Kohli
6 - Herbert Sutcliffe
6 - Sachin Tendulkar
Most Test hundreds in an away country for India
7 - Sunil Gavaskar in West Indies
7 - Virat Kohli in Australia
6 - Rahul Dravid in England
6 - Sachin Tendulkar in Australia
Most Test hundreds against an opponent for India
13 - Sunil Gavaskar vs West Indies
11 - Sachin Tendulkar vs Australia
9 - Sachin Tendulkar vs Sri Lanka
9 - Virat Kohli vs Australia
8 - Sunil Gavaskar vs Australia
Coming to the match front, Virat Kohli and Yashasvi Jaiswal's masterful centuries helped India declare their second innings for 487 for six, setting Australia a victory target of 534 on day 3 of the opening Test, here Sunday.
He forged an 89-run partnership for the sixth wicket with Washington Sundar (29) and unfinished 77 off 54 balls with Nitesh Reddy (38 not out) to probably bat Australia out of the match. This was after Jaiswal's solid 161 at the top. Jaiswal, who completed his fourth Test hundred in the morning session, hit 15 boundaries and three maximums in his 297-ball innings before being caught by Steven Smith off Mitchell Marsh.
Devdutt Padikkal (25), Rishabh Pant (1) and Dhruv Jurel (1) were the other Indian batters to be dismissed in the post-lunch session.
India had scored only 150 runs in their first innings but returned to bundle out Australia for 104 in their first essay.
In their second innings, Jaiswal and KL Rahul (77) stitched a record-breaking 201-run stand for the opening wicket, the highest by an Indian opening pair on Australian soil, to put India in a strong position.
