Like always, he ran like the wind. Virat Kohli knows no other way. As Lockie Ferguson steamed in, Kohli shuffled across and redirected the delivery to backward square-leg. The single was taken at a breathless pace and then he turned around for his second, a run that ushered in his 50th ODI ton. One better than his idol Sachin Tendulkar’s previous record of 49 centuries.
In the history of India’s batting riches, Kohli had carved a niche for himself many moons ago. And when the 50th hundred was registered at a heaving Wankhede Stadium here on Wednesday evening, it had an air of inevitability. After skipper Rohit Sharma struck a scorching 47 to set the base, Kohli walked in and did his usual thing, pinching singles, flexing the odd four, and watching his younger partner Shubman Gill tuck into the New Zealand attack in the World Cup semifinal.
The whips off fast bowlers, the gentle drives against the spinners were all in vogue and then Kohli unleashed some magic, flicking a six off Tim Southee, a shot that was tensile wrists and just enough power for the ball to sail into the stands. Even after Gill retired hurt and retreated, Kohli relished the pyrotechnics of Shreyas Iyer, and remained the busy senior ally.
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Once the milestone was reached, Kohli leapt and then bowed down once to Tendulkar and the maestro heartily applauded from the stands. Dropped on 107 by Glenn Phillips off Southee, Kohli added 10 more before holing out in the deep. But by then he had anchored India to a strong total, a position further enhanced when Shreyas too got to his century.
Sunil Gavaskar’s late cut off Ijaz Faqih at Ahmedabad’s Motera Stadium in 1987 helped him become the first batter to scale Mount 10,000 in Tests. Later Tendulkar added a string of records, most of which may defy emulation. And now Kohli has added his own unique chapter, which should stand the test of time.
