Virat Kohli, simply unstoppable, crosses 4,000 Test runs at Wankhede

Virat Kohli has reached 4,000 runs and is the 14th Indian batsman to reach the milestone. Kohli crossed the landmark while playing his 52nd Test and the fourth in the ongoing India vs England series at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium

The Mumbai crowd filled up the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday morning to see one man bat, Virat Kohli. They didn’t have to wait too long. The India captain strode onto the ground on the third ball of the day’s play after Chesteshwar Pujara fell early. (LIVE BLOG)

Virat Kohli bats during day 3 of the fourth Test match between India and England held at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on Saturday (BCCI)

Virat Kohli gave them early cause for celebration when he crossed 41 to reach 4,000 career Test runs. Kohli has reached the mark in his 52nd Test and is the 14th Indian batsman to reach the figure.

Also, when he reached 35, with a ferocious pull off England pacer Ben Stokes, Kohli reached 1,000 runs this calendar year (2016). It was the fifth four of a delightful knock.

Among the active Indian players, only Gautam Gambhir is above Kohli. Gambhir, who played the first Test of the series at Rajkot, has 4,154 runs in 58 Tests. Sachin Tendulkar is at the top of the tree with 15,921 runs.

Averaging 48-plus, Kohli is closing in on the 50-plus mark, seen as the benchmark for great players. He has hit 14 hundreds so far.

Kohli had made his debut against West Indies in 2011 at Kingston and hit his first hundred in his eighth Test, against Australia at Adelaide in the 2011-12 series.