Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli (PTI Photo) NEW DELHI: Star batsman Virat Kohli on Sunday produced another innings of authority and patience while stepping into a one-man territory for two decades. With his 52nd One Day International hundred in the first ODI against South Africa, Kohli surpassed Sachin Tendulkar’s tally of 51 Test centuries to become the only cricketer in history to score more than 51 centuries in a single format of international cricket.
Inside the Indian nets in Ranchi: How Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma prepared for first ODI vs South Africa
The feat also marked the 7000th international hundred in men’s cricket.India lost captain Rohit Sharma for a fluent 57 off 51 balls, but Kohli stood firm on a pitch that required both discipline and calculated stroke play. He came on early, settled in quietly and gradually took control of the innings as the partnership with Rohit began to unravel. Their stand of 136 off 109 deliveries gave India the platform they needed after a fast start.The moment of history occurred in 38. Marco Jansen plays one back of length outside off and Kohli opens the bat neatly to guide the ball past third man. The timing was easy and the boundary took him to a landmark that kept getting closer all afternoon. Kohli jumped up, punched the air and acknowledged the Ranchi crowd, who rose in unison. It wasn’t overplayed, just a championship celebration, built brick by brick.He eventually fell for a brilliant 135 off 120 balls, caught by Rickelton running back from cover after he mistimed a lofted attempt. He raised his bat to all four stands as he walked off and Ranchi responded with a standing ovation to match the moment.A record broken, a new peak reached and history rewritten in the name of Kohli.
