Fans of former Team India skipper Virat Kohli mocked current captain Rohit Sharma on social media after the former struck his 29th Test hundred in the second Test against the West Indies in Port of Spain this weekend.
Ironically, Rohit Sharma's trolling on Twitter came after some Virat Kohli supporters compared the record of India's top two batters, where statistics revealed that the Delhi-born cricketer has been far better than the 36-year-old in Test cricket.
Others argued that Rohit Sharma's public relations network has continuously tried to show him as the best player in the world. But a free-flowing Virat Kohli has smashed their plans with a truckload of runs from his bat.
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On Friday, the premier India batter scripted a unique world record as he became the first cricketer to smash a hundred in his 500th international match.
The Delhi-born superstar's feat came on Day 2 of the second Test against West Indies played at the Queen's Park Oval in Port of Spain in Trinidad.
For the unversed, the second Test against the West Indies is Virat Kohli's 500th match. If we further break down the stats, he has represented India in 110 Tests, 274 ODIs, and 115 T20Is.
Incidentally, Virat Kohli's 76th hundred in international cricket during the weekend made him the fastest to the milestone as he toppled his idol Sachin Tendulkar from the top spot. While Sachin Tendulkar needed 587 essays to touch the landmark, Virat Kohli required only 559 knocks.
Virat Kohli, who was unbeaten on 87 on Day 1 of the second Test, looked in imperious touch against the Caribbean bowlers. In addition to milking them for ones and twos with relative comfort, the Delhi-born cricketer never appeared to be getting out. But an unfortunate misunderstanding between him and Ravindra Jadeja led to his dismissal as Virat Kohli had to leave the ground after making a well-compiled ton. A direct throw ran him out for 121.
Though he was utterly disappointed with his departure from the crease as he looked set for a double century, the 34-year-old still made history at the Queen's Park Oval in Trinidad.
Before Virat Kohli, only three Indians participated in 500 international matches – Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, and Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Also, Virat Kohli surpassed Virender Sehwag to become the fifth-highest run-scorer for India in Test cricket.
While Sehwag's run tally in the five-day version of the sport stood at 8586, Kohli now has 8676 runs in red ball cricket.
Plus, the talismanic Team India batter equaled the legendary Sir Don Bradman's record of 29 centuries in Test cricket. Sir Don Bradman is considered the best batter in cricket history, and equaling his feat would have given Kohli a lot of satisfaction.
The hundred against Kraigg Brathwaite and his boys helped Virat Kohli close the gap on the legendary Sunil Gavaskar, who has five centuries more than the former in the Whites. India's top hundred makers in Tests are Sachin Tendulkar (51), Rahul Dravid (36), and Sunil Gavaskar (34).
Talking specifically about making three-figure scores at No.4, Virat Kohli went past former West Indies great Brian Lara, who scored 24 tons in that position. Though Kohli has 25 at that spot, three men are ahead of him, and they are Sachin Tendulkar (44), Jacques Kallis (35), and Mahela Jayawardene (30).
Among active cricketers, Joe Root of England and Steve Smith of Australia have 19 centuries at No.4.
Moreover, unlike Sachin Tendulkar, who could only complete one hundred in the Caribbean during his illustrious career that lasted 24 years, it was Virat Kohli's second ton in the West Indies following his maiden double ton in 2016.
However, he's still way behind Sunil Gavaskar, who retired with seven centuries in the West Indies. On the other hand, Rahul Dravid, Dilip Sardesai, and Polly Umrigar – finished their careers with three tons a piece in the Caribbean.
Notably, it was Virat Kohli's first overseas hundred since 2018, when he reached three figures against Australia in Perth.
Former India wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta called Virat Kohli's 76th international ton a “huge achievement”.
“That's a huge achievement – hundred No. 29. I think it was a really good innings and again something that didn't come very easy to him. He really had to work for it, so you've got to give more credit for that,” Deep Dasgupta told ESPNCricinfo.
“No matter what people say, numbers do matter. I'd be honest. When you look at our society as such, most of our judgment is based on numbers. More importantly, it's just the fact that he hadn't scored a hundred away from home, out of Asia I believe, in so many years.”
“It's not just about what everyone else is saying. It's also about yourself. Virat is someone who has said that himself before as well – it's about trying to prove himself. It's not about what anyone else is saying or what people think. I think that would be a monkey off his back, that hundred. He would be relieved,” the cricketer-turned-pundit elaborated.
Virat Kohli's performance with the bat earned him browny points from India's fitness coach T Dilip.
“He walks the talk when it comes to fitness,” T Dilip told reporters in a press conference.
“It mainly comes down to his discipline and how he takes care of himself. It has been 10 years and he is the most attacking fielder. It rubs off well on the youngsters. Everybody looks up to him – not just our team, but everybody in the world – A person like him, running around and attacking the ball so well,” he explained.
“A good part of a player is how consistently he scores. He has continued his form from the last match into this. He did not start off with flamboyant drives right away. He had to grind as he did in the first game. His application was fantastic, at the same time his temperament on that wicket…there were spells where the West Indies bowlers came good and he respected them. When he had to capitalise, he did that. Overall, the way he paced his innings was fantastic,” he commented.
Virat Kohli was delighted with his batting display in India's first essay.
“I was pretty happy with the way I went about things, took my time. They were bowling pretty decent areas when I walked. I had to be patient as the ball was getting soft, the surface was slow and the outfield was slow as well. Run scoring wasn't as fluent as one would like it to be. I had to do the hard yards and because of all these factors it was very satisfying,” Virat Kohli explained.
“I live every day of my life like I'm an individual athlete. I look after myself in terms of training, recovery, sleep, physio sessions, and most importantly, my diet. It's the commitment that you give towards the sport. When you're not going through a purple patch, all these factors really help you to grind it out in the middle.”
“For me, my fitness is the most important thing. It helps me switch between formats pretty easily because I feel I can bat for 300 balls, strike at 170, play long innings in ODIs as well, and field with intensity all day long. Whether it's a Test match, T20 or ODI, I'm just committed to playing the game at the top of my fitness abilities, and that I take a lot of pride in,” Virat Kohli expressed.
I have got 15 centuries away from home, not quite a bad record. I have got more centuries away from home than I have got at home. We haven't played 30 Test matches away from home. I don't know how many we have played but it is not a big number. I have got a few 50-plus scores but, with me if I get a fifty it is like I missed out on a hundred and if I get 120 it is like I missed out on a double hundred. I just have to focus on what I can do for the team and try to bat to the best of my abilities and help the team as much as possible,” he stated.
“These stats and milestones, if I do them in a situation where the team needs me, for me that's more special than just ticking the numbers. Honestly, it is going to mean nothing in 15-20 years. It is what impact you left on the field which is more special for me and for the team,” Virat Kohli summed up.
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