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Virat Kohli will become 12th Indian cricketer to play 100 Tests when Rohit Sharma-led hosts take the field against Sri Lanka at Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali. Ahead of Kohli’s milestone event, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) posted special videos of former cricketers wishing the Delhi-born batter their best. The board even allowed 50 per cent crowd for the mega event, reversing the decision to play it behind closed doors. However, there is one former cricketer who career came to an abrupt end just before reaching that milestone.
Abrupt end
Former Indian skipper Mohammad Azharuddin’s red-ball career ended at 99 Tests. Match-fixing allegations prevented him from continuing his illustrious career. He was banned for life in November 2000 along with Ajay Sharma. However, in 2012, Andhra Pradesh High Court had lifted the ban on former Indian skipper terming it as "unsustainable", it was too late for then-49-year-old to make a comeback. Azharuddin was considered a magician with the bat. With his god-gifted wrists, he could find gaps in the field with the precision of a surgeon.
Azharuddin’s numbers
While Kohli has been a class apart, Azharuddin’s numbers did not look lackluster in front of him either. The Hyderabad-born batter has 6,215 runs from 147 innings at an impressive average of 45.03 including 21 centuries and 19 half-centuries.
Like Kohli, Azharuddin led India in red-ball format as well. In the 47 games he led, India won 14, lost 14 and 19 Tests ended in a draw. His win percentage of 29.78 is only below Kohli (58.82 per cent) and Sourav Ganguly (42.85 per cent) for captains who had led India for minimum 10 games.
Last Test innings
In his last appearance in Test cricket, Azharuddin did not have a great time as a captain but scored a gritty 102 in a losing cause. After India got bundled out for 158, South Africa posted a mammoth total of 479 in Bengaluru. Azharuddin could not help India avoid an embarrassing innings defeat but minimized the defeat margin. He scored 102 from 170 deliveries including 13 fours and two fours.
