Credits: BCCI
Spectators at Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, witnessed the vintage Virat Kohli defying his class game by reaching 9000 Test Runs. Kohli achieved the feat during India's second innings in the first Test against New Zealand at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. With the feat, Kohli has joined the list of Indian cricketing legends including Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar, and Rahul Dravid. The former Indian skipper reached the milestone by scoring 53 runs in the 42nd over of India's second innings.
However, he was the slowest of the four to reach the milestone, though, taking 197 innings. In addition, this half-century was Kohli's first Test score of 50 or more this season, allaying worries about his form at a crucial moment for the squad. Kohli took his time to set on Day 3 of the first test against New Zealand. India started the difficult task of chasing down a 356-run deficit.
Most Test Runs Indian Batters
Rahul Dravid - 176 innings in 2006
Sachin Tendulkar - 179 innings in 2004
Sunil Gavaskar - 192 innings in 1985
Virat Kohli - 197 innings in 2024*
In addition, Kohli broke even another milestone during the Bengaluru Test, making his 536th appearance for India, surpassing MS Dhoni's 535 caps.
Kohli Defies No 3 Batting Horror
In the first innings of the test match, Kohli departed by scoring zero, but he was hailed for his decision to bat in No.3. But the dismissal didn't hold him back from changing his decision. On day 3, he came to bat in No. 3 and showed off his masterclass game. It would be interesting to see for how long he will continue this No. 3 streak.
On day 3, India got off to a strong start in their second innings, with Rohit Sharma's aggressive knock establishing the tone. Kohli and Sarfaraz kept the momentum going despite Kohil’s unfortunate dismissal just after the batter reached his half-century. Sarfaraz used a variety of attacking strokes to keep the Kiwis behind.
