It was a long wait, 1,204 days to be precise, particularly for a batter of Virat Kohli's stature who in his glittering career has racked up centuries for fun. When the moment finally arrived, the fans inside the stadium were ready with their mobile phones to record the memorable moment while millions watching on television breathed a sigh of relief just like Kohli did on the ground. No fist pumping or jumping in the air with joy, no pointing at his name on the shirt or roaring in delight, the maverick India batter celebrated his 28th Test ton in a rather sedate manner at the Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad on March 12 (Sunday).
With a wry smile on his face, Kohli acknowledged the thunderous applause from the crowd and the dressing before kissing the ring on his neck and pointing towards the heavens. It was Kohli's moment and he cherished it with utmost serenity.
Watch the video here:
Kohli ended his century drought in red-ball cricket that has lasted for 1,205 days. The Indian superstar had last cracked a ton in Test cricket in November 2019 against Bangladesh at the Eden Gardens stadium in Kolkata.
The swashbuckling batter brought up his century with a single off Nathan Lyon's over. Kohli took 241 balls to reach three figures and smashed just five boundaries in his resilient knock. It was Kohli's second-slowest ton in Test cricket.
Prior to his century in Ahmedabad, Kohli had gone 41 innings without scoring a century in Tests. During this time period, Kohli managed to score only six half-centuries in red-ball cricket. Also, this was Kohli's third century in 2023 after his two ODI hundreds against Sri Lanka earlier in the year.Â
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