Virat Kohli, the star batter of India, struck his 30th Test century on the third day of the 1st Test against Australia in Perth. Kohli took just 143 balls to score 100 as India finally declared from their second innings at a total of 487/6, giving Australia a target of 534 runs to win. This century is the first for Kohli from a gap of 16 months and has relegated him just under the great Australian Sir Donald Bradman in the list of players with the most number of centuries in the longest format. The Perth Test cemented his status on par with Bradman by both having 29 centuries prior to it in Tests.
Sachin Tendulkar leads the all-time list, having retired in 2013 with 49 Test centuries to his name. Meanwhile, Kohli is the 4th Indian to hit 30 or more centuries.
Only Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid (36) and Sunil Gavaskar (34) scored more centuries than Kohli for India.
Kohli, meanwhile, was not out on 100 when yet again captain Bumrah, who is retaining that position, declared the innings. Nitish Kumar Reddy was there with him on 38, yet unbeaten, when that occurred.
Jaiswal had previously scored an impressive 161 to set the psychological edge for India in this five-Test contest.
Hero of the Show was Jaiswal, who grew up homeless in the slums of Mumbai selling snacks on the streets to survive, and played matured knock of 297 balls with 15 fours and three sixes.
The 22-year-old, in his 15th Test, looked set for a career second double hundred but he edged Mitchell Marsh to Steve Smith at point and left to a standing ovation.
Australia also took off Devdutt Padikkal (25), Rishabh Pant (1), and Dhruv Jurel (1) by taking KL Rahul (77) before lunch.
Rahul’s demise ended a 201-run association among the opening pair, Jaiswal, which became the highest for India in Australia overtaking the previous record of Sunil Gavaskar and Kris Srikkanth at Sydney in 1986.
With a margin of 218 runs, the visitors resumed after gaining the second day when Australia collapsed to a very disappointing 104 runs in reply to India’s 150.
