The crowd at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad exploded in glee when Virat Kohli played a Nathan Lyon ball on the leg side and took a single before he had even gone halfway past the other end.
Others on social media began crafting tweets on Virat Kohli’s Test century, which eventually made it to the timeline. Several were taken aback when Kohli discreetly removed his helmet, kissed his engagement ring hanging from a locket, and lifted his bat. He eventually got to enjoy the occasion after 1205 days, 24 Tests, and 42 innings for a century in the game’s most difficult format.
When a player like Virat Kohli fails to hit a century in Test cricket for more than three years and his average falls below 50, with just six half-centuries in 24 Tests since December 2019, it’s almost hard to keep going. Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri described Kohli’s century as a “600kg gorilla off his shoulders” on Day 4 of the fourth Test against Australia.
Kohli’s 186-run effort also ensured that India topped Australia’s first-innings total of 480 and regained the lead, putting pressure back on them. As the fourth Test finished in a tie, with India winning the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2-1 for the fourth time in a row, India head coach Rahul Dravid addressed Kohli about the end of his century drought in Tests.
