Indian batting maestro Virat Kohli scripted history on Sunday by scoring his 30th Test century, surpassing the legendary Sir Don Bradman’s tally. Kohli achieved the milestone during the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar series against Australia, marking a triumphant return to form after a 16-month century drought.
Coming to the crease on the third day, Kohli was under pressure after managing four single-digit scores in his last five innings. However, he silenced critics with a masterful unbeaten 100 off 143 balls, featuring eight boundaries and two sixes.
Kohli's innings propelled India to a dominant position with skipper Jasprit Bumrah declaring at a mammoth lead of 533 runs. This knock not only reaffirmed Kohli's stature in the cricketing world but also set the tone for India’s campaign in the much-anticipated series.
Virat Kohli with his 30th Test century surpassed legendary Australian Sir Don Bradman, who had 29 Test hundreds to his name.
The Indian star has now joined Matthew Hayden and Shivnarine Chanderpaul in the elite group of players with 30 Test centuries. Only 14 players have scored more Test tons, with Kohli trailing active players Steve Smith and Kane Williamson in the tally.
Most Centuries in Test Cricket
Sachin Tendulkar — 51
Jacques Kallis — 45
Ricky Ponting — 41
Kumar Sangakkara — 38
Rahul Dravid — 36
Joe Root — 35
Younis Khan, Sunil Gavaskar, Brian Lara, Mahela Jayawardene — 34
Alastair Cook (ENG) — 33
Kane Williamson, Steve Smith, Steve Waugh — 32
Virat Kohli, Matthew Hayden, Shivnarine Chanderpaul — 30
It’s worth noting that this was Kohli’s seventh Test hundred in Australia, breaking Sachin Tendulkar’s record for most centuries in Australia by an Indian batter.
Overall Kohli has scored 10 centuries in Australia across all formats, which is a record by any visiting batter. Previously, the record was held by Jack Hobbs, who scored nine centuries in Australia.