Virat Kohli lit up Day 3 of the first Test in Perth with a majestic century, marking his 81st international ton and 30th in Tests. This milestone came as a much-needed breakthrough for Virat Kohli who had faced criticism for his lackluster form in the longest format since his return to Test cricket earlier this year.
In a stunning display of technical brilliance and composure, King Kohli scored his seventh Test century on the Australian soil, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar’s record of six centuries in Australia. The knock also ended a 15-innings drought, with Virat Kohli’s last century in Tests coming in July 2023 against West Indies.
The former Indian coach Ravi Shastri was all praise for Kohli, hailing the innings as a masterclass on one of the world’s most challenging pitches. During commentary, Shastri talked about seven centuries in Australia, he added that Perth’s pitch is one of the bounciest pitches of the world and it is also one of the big grounds where Virat scored a century. Shastri went on to say that he doubts any other overseas player has played in this manner in Australia.
Virat Kohli’s resurgence coupled with Yashasvi Jaiswal’s brilliant 161 and a solid 201-run opening stand between Jaiswal and KL Rahul (77) has put India in a commanding position. Declaring at 487/6 in their second innings, India handed Australia a daunting target of 534 runs.
Ravi Shastri added that this is why Virat Kohli is called King by fans and his form could be “ominous” for Australia, calling it a “terrific signal for India”. With Virat Kohli back in his element, India seems poised for a big win to set the tone for the series. Fans worldwide are celebrating the King’s return to form, with expectations soaring for the rest of the tour.
As far as the test match is concerned, Australians suffered a humiliating defeat by 295 runs as the hosts could manage only 238 runs in their second innings. The stand-in skipper of the Indian team, Jasprit Bumrah was adjudged as the Player of the Match for his terrific performance as he took 8 wickets in the test match (5/30 & 3/42).
The second test will be played at Adelaide Oval from 6 Dec.
