IND vs AUS: Vintage Virat Roars!

Virat Kohli celebrates his century against Australia yesterday. Pic/AFP

If it was the turn of young turk Shubman Gill to make a statement on Saturday, then Sunday was all about the old warhorse. In an admirable display of mind over matter, Virat Kohli produced his most meaningful knock in the last three years, an eight-and-a-half-hour epic in which he travelled through the gears to give India a whiff of a chance in the final Test.

For 23 Tests since his 27th century at the Eden Gardens in November 2019, Kohli had unsuccessfully tilted at three-figures. On the penultimate day of the four-match Test series against Australia at the Narendra Modi Stadium, he finally reached the Promised Land, his awe-inspiring 186 forming the basis on which India erected a monumental 571.

With excellent support from KS Bharat and the eye-catching Axar Patel, Kohli ground the Australian attack to the dirt on a track that held up quite decently. Needing 91 to make India bat again, nightwatchman Matt Kuhnemann - standing in for Usman Khawaja, nursing an unspecified leg injury - and Travis Head batted out the six overs to stumps to take Australia to three without loss.

Kohli in his own zone

Kohli had showcased more than occasional glimpses of his determination on Day Three when he worked his way to a measured 59, and much of the same traits were visible on the fourth morning when he and Ravindra Jadeja resumed at 289 for three, still 191 behind. Jadeja perished to an ill-advised aerial drive, 27 minutes into the day, but Kohli was in a zone of his own creation. The onus for the first session and a half was occupation of the crease, picking up the runs when the opportunity presented itself and not going looking for them.

Axar shines

Predominantly using the leg-side to pick up ones and twos, Kohli's first four of the day didn't come until his 123rd delivery, by which time Bharat had uncorked a useful cameo. Batting at No. 6 with Shreyas Iyer unavailable due to a back injury, Bharat showed enterprise, as did Axar, who held his own during a 182-run stand with Kohli that knocked the stuffing out of the Aussies.

Also read: Border-Gavaskar Trophy: Virat Kohli's 186 gives India 91-run lead vs Australia in fourth Test

Kohli's muted celebrations on reaching 100 No. 28 indicated that he wasn't done yet, and it was no surprise to see him play with greater freedom after getting the monkey off his back. Having taken 241 deliveries to get to 100 with five fours, he then dipped into his huge repertoire, exquisite timing, impeccable placement and electric running between the wickets helping him to his next 86 runs in just 123 more balls with 10 further fours. As India provided only the third instance in Test history of the first six wickets all producing half-century stands, Australia felt the heat. As they will on Monday, the pronounced lack of assistance to bowlers notwithstanding.

241
No. of balls taken by Virat Kohli to get to his century, his second slowest in Tests after the one v England (289 balls) at Nagpur in 2012

Brief scores
Australia 480 & 3-0 v India 571 (V Kohli 186, S Gill 128, A Patel 79, S Bharat 44; T Murphy 3-113, N Lyon 3-151)