Talismanic batter Virat Kohli smashed his 30th Test hundred – and the first of this year – as India set Australia a target of 534 runs to chase after declaring their second innings at 487/6 in 134.3 overs on Day Three of the first Test at Perth Stadium here on Sunday.
Kohli’s unbeaten century came off 143 balls and was laced with eight fours and two sixes. In front of a vociferous crowd which included his actor-producer wife Anushka Sharma, Kohli feasted on a tired bowling line-up to bring up his seventh Test hundred on Australian soil and draw level with Walter Hammond.
Kohli’s brilliant hundred was the perfect icing on the cake for India after opener Yashasvi Jaiswal put the visitors in the driver’s seat with a brilliant 161. The final session began with Kohli getting a thick inside edge off Cummins going for four and was followed by taking three runs off him to get his fifty.
Despite Washington Sundar being castled while trying to sweep off Nathan Lyon, Kohli continued to be glorious in his driving and found good support in Nitish Kumar Reddy, who whipped Mitchell Marsh for a powerful six, before smashing him for a hat-trick of fours in the next over.
Kohli launched Lyon for a straight six over the non-striker’s end, before pulling and flat-batting Marnus Labuschagne for two boundaries. With Jasprit Bumrah removing his arm guard, a declaration looked imminent.
While Nitish muscled Labuschagne over long-on for a six, Kohli reverse-swept Lyon for four, before sweeping Labuschagne for four and getting his elusive century, also his 80th ton in international cricket as he walked off with cheers from the crowd chanting his name.
Brief scores:
India 150 and 487/6 in 134.3 overs (Yashasvi Jaiswal 161, Virat Kohli 100 not out; Nathan Lyon 2-96) lead Australia 104 by 533 runs
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