Australia (Commonwealth) _ A significant portion of Virat Kohli’s international cricket career has been associated with breaking cricket records. In particular, he has outperformed the other players in terms of his batting records on Australian soil.
He is on the verge of surpassing Sir Donald Bradman, the all-time great cricket player, in a long-standing record. It comes as no surprise to cricket fans that Bradman holds the majority of the game’s most recognizable records.
The highest number of overseas hundreds scored while away from home is one such record. Interestingly, the “Don” of cricket in England apparently hit hundreds for fun between 1930 and 1948. The renowned Australian went on to amass 11 centuries in his 19 appearances on English soil.
As intriguing as it may sound, however, one of the contemporary greats, Virat Kohli, is almost matching Sir Don’s record—albeit in his home city of Adelaide. With ten centuries to his credit in the Kangaroo nation, Kohli will tie Bradman for the most centuries scored in international cricket on foreign soil if he can duplicate his batting prowess in Perth.
For those who are unaware, Australia will take on India in the upcoming second Test of the current Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT 2024–25) following their crushing defeat in Perth. However, Bradman’s hometown will host the game, using a pink ball instead of the traditional “red cherry.” Adelaide will host the game starting on December 6.
Regarding Virat Kohli’s record in Australia, the top Indian batsman has made 43 appearances for Team India and amassed 2,710 runs thus far. The Delhi-based batsman amassed an outstanding average of 54.20 during these matches and scored his highest score in Oz Country with a stunning 169 runs at the storied Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). It is noteworthy that this knock occurred in December 2014.
Some famous cricket players have incredible records when it comes to hitting hundreds of runs away from home, in addition to the GOAT (Greatest of All Time) and contemporary greats.
This exclusive list of batters also includes legendary players like Sir Vivian Richards, the West Indian great, and India’s pride, Sachin Tendulkar, also known as the Master Blaster. Additionally, renowned players such as Sunil Gavaskar and Jack Hobbs from England have long enjoyed batting against foreign opponents.
In the first Test of the present Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT 2024-25), the energetic Indian side crushed Australia’s Perth pride with a decisive 295-run victory. The star batsman Virat Kohli’s incredible century was the topic of discussion on the Australian beaches, aside from the performance of the other hitters and the Indian bowling unit.
Interestingly, in recent months, Kohli had been struggling. The Indian batting mainstay, however, produced a spectacular return when it counted most by going undefeated on a challenging Perth surface that played possums with both teams the entire time.
The hosts faced a challenging target of over 500 runs, but Kohli swiftly apologized following his cheap dismissal in the first innings. He hit an undefeated 100* off 143 balls to put Team India in a dominant position against Australia.
After that, Jasprit Bumrah’s team easily broke through the Perth citadel and tormented the Australian batting order. On the other hand, the second Test, which will take place in Adelaide, will be a pink-ball Test match that takes place during the day.
Since bowlers have traditionally liked bowling with the pink ball, the conditions will be quite difficult for a batter. Despite all the odds, Kohli will aim to maintain his batting prowess in the upcoming series.
Virat Kohli will have the opportunity to make history one more time by doing this. Notably, the record of previous West Indies captain and batting great Brian Lara will be highlighted in the second Test, which starts on December 6. For those who are unaware, Lara’s 610 runs at the Adelaide Oval set a record for visiting batters at the storied Australian stadium. Regarding Kohli’s record at the location, the contemporary icon has amassed 509 runs thus far.
After the series, cricket experts predict that Virat Kohli will be remembered as a brilliant player on par with other great cricketers.
