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Cricket PlayersIndia vs Australia: Virat Kohli becomes first Indian skipper to score 1000 runs on foreign soil in a calendar year
Batting on a bowler-friendly Perth wicket, Kohli brought up the 1000th run when he reached 84 on the third morning of the second Test against Australia at the Optus Stadium. He is now the 11th batsman to reach the landmark.
India’s quality performance on foreign soil in 2018 has been largely due to the batting prowess shown by skipper Virat Kohli. Leading from the front, he has scored runs in South Africa, England and now Australia. And on Sunday, he became only the third Indian after Mohinder Amarnath and Rahul Dravid to score a 1000 runs on foreign soil in a calendar year. Interestingly, he is only the third skipper after Bob Simpson and Graeme Smith to achieve the feat.
Batting on a bowler-friendly Perth wicket, Kohli brought up the 1000th run when he reached 84 on the third morning of the second Test against Australia at the Optus Stadium. He is now the 11th batsman to reach the landmark.
India pacer Ishant Sharma gave the perfect compliment to Kohli on Saturday when he said: “Whenever Virat is batting we feel confident. We finished the day in a strong position. Hopefully they will both continue. The game is in the balance right now. Hopefully we will dominate the first session tomorrow.”
A determined Kohli led India’s fightback on an engrossing second day in Perth, blunting Australia’s bowling attack to leave the second Test hanging in the balance.
In reply to Australia’s first innings score of 326, India fought back on the green-tinged Perth Stadium pitch to reach stumps at 172 for three with Kohli 82 not out and his deputy Ajinkya Rahane unbeaten on 51.
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The home side bowled accurately but the much-hyped pitch, marked with widening cracks, settled down late in the day. A fired-up Mitchell Starc (2-42) rebounded after coming in for some criticism for his bowling during Australia’s 31-run defeat in the first test in Adelaide.
After losing two wickets in their first six overs, Kohli rescued India through half-century partnerships with the in-form Cheteshwar Pujara and Rahane. Kohli started confidently smashing four drives to the boundary in his first 10 deliveries faced, before playing watchfully against some tight Australian bowling.
Kohli and Pujara initially rebuilt India’s innings with a 74-run partnership after a shaky start saw them lose openers Murali Vijay and Lokesh Rahul cheaply either side of lunch.
Pujara, who was India’s hero in the first Test with scores of 123 and 71, fell tamely for a hard-fought 24 when he was caught behind feathering a Starc delivery down the leg side.
An aggressive Rahane counter-attacked to break the shackles, as Kohli reached his first-half century against Australia in almost four years with a powerful cut shot to the boundary.
The India talisman had scored just 83 runs in his past seven Test innings against Australia, but his 181-ball knock has given his team hope of reeling in Australia’s competitive first innings total.
