Bengaluru: India batter Virat Kohli has added another feather to his highly illustrious cap as he completed 9,000 Test runs in the ongoing match against New Zealand at M Chinnaswamy Stadium. He reached the milestone during India’s second innings.
Kohli became the fourth Indian batter to reach the feat after Sachin Tendulkar (15,921), Rahul Dravid (13,265) and Sunil Gavaskar (10,122). Among them, Kohli is the slowest to reach the milestone in terms of innings taken (197).
The 35-year-old batter, who has not hit a Test fifty in 2024, smashed his 31st Test half-century as India were put under pressure by New Zealand after posting 402 in the first innings.
Kohli is the second-highest Test run-getter among active players after England’s Joe Root (12,716 runs). In the overall list, he is placed in 18th spot.
Glenn Phillips finally ended Kohli’s innings for 70, which included eight fours and a six as India were 231/3 at stumps on Day 3. Sarfaraz Khan is unbeaten on 70 as India trail by 125 runs after bundling out 46 in the first innings, their lowest total at home.
Kohli and Sarfaraz had a 136-run partnership for the third wicket to stabilise the innings after the wickets of Yashasvi Jaiswal (35) and India captain Rohit Sharma (52).
Earlier, an excellent 134 from Rachin Ravindra – his second Test century – helped New Zealand take a lead of 356 runs after their first innings ended at 402 in 91.3 overs. For India, spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav were the pick of the bowlers by taking three wickets each.
Ravindra dazzled to hit 13 fours and four sixes in his 157-ball knock yielding his second international hundred in Bengaluru, the city of his family’s origin. He also added a crucial 137 runs for the eighth wicket with Tim Southee, who hit 65 off 73 balls. It’s now the joint-highest eighth wicket partnership for New Zealand in Tests against India.
(IANS)
