Virat Kohli 42 runs away from going past Sunil Gavaskar, Rahul Dravid in illustrious list led by Sehwag, Tendulkar
espite the below-average returns in the last three years, Kohli still finds himself at the cusp of records. He is only 42 runs away from registering 4000 Test runs in India and go past legends like Gavaskar and Dravid.
Virat Kohli has had a torrid time in Test cricket since December 2019. So much that it has dragged his average down from nearly 55 to 48. His numbers against spin in India are far more alarming. Between 2017-2020, he averaged a whopping 115 against spinners against India but since January 2021, his average against spin has come down to 22.85. His weakness against spin has been so evident that Australia haven't bowled a single over of pace against Kohli in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He has been dismissed thrice by off-spinner Todd Murphy and twice by left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann.
Kohli, however, has not looked bad in any of his outings in the three Tests so far. His 44-run knock in the first innings in Delhi, which was ended abruptly by a debatable umpiring decision, was rated as one of his best by the experts. But that has just been the case with Kohli of late. He has found ways to get out. Sometimes it has been a lapse in concentration or an umpiring error. The rub of the green hasn't gone his way in red-ball cricket.
The former captain will look to put all these factors behind when India face Australia in the fourth Test in Ahmedabad. Kohli's form as usual will be very crucial. Despite the below-average returns in the last three years, Kohli still finds himself at the cusp of records. He is only 42 runs away from registering 4000 Test runs in India.
He will become only the fifth Indian after Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sunil Gavaskar and Virender Sehwag to reach the landmark.
If Kohli gets there in the first innings in the Ahmedabad Test, then he will beat Dravid, the current India head coach and the legendary Gavaskar to become the third fastest to 4000 Test runs in India.
Gavaskar had taken 87 innings while Dravid took 88. Kohli has 3958 runs in 76 innings. His average of 58 is the highest among all batters in the list.
Sehwag is the fastest to reach 4000 Tests in India in just 71 innings. At No.2 is Tendulkar in 78 innings. The little master, however, sits on top among the highest run-scorers in Tests in India with 7216 runs in 153 innings. He is followed by Dravid (5598), Gavaskar (5067) and Sehwag (4656).
Apart from Kohli, India captain Rohit Sharma too has multiple milestones in sight. Rohit, who is the only centurion in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy so far, is 21 runs away from completing 17000 runs in international cricket. He is 56 runs away from completing 3000 runs in international cricket as captain. He needs 33 runs to complete 2000 runs in Tests at home.