Virat Kohli returned to form with an unbeaten half-century in the third ODI against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on Saturday, October 25. India beat the hosts by nine wickets to seal a consolation victory after defeats in the first two games.
The Men in Blue chased down a target of 237 runs with ease in just 38.3 overs. Openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill got them off to a solid start, adding 69 runs in 10.2 overs. Once Gill was dismissed, Virat Kohli walked out to bat in the 11th over.
He scored a few streaky boundaries at the start, but it got him going eventually. It was a typical Kohli knock in a run-chase, where he took his time, rotated strike, and finished the game. He scored an unbeaten 74 off 81 balls with seven boundaries in his knock. Kohli also hit the winning runs and wrapped up the chase in style with a boundary.
Fans hailed the Indian superstar on X for his unbeaten half-century.
"Baap of odi virat kohli is back 🔥😍," a fan wrote.
Below are some other reactions from fans on X:
After consecutive ducks in the first two ODIs, it was a much-needed knock for Kohli. Having finished the game and remained unbeaten would further boost his confidence going forward.
Virat Kohli becomes second-highest run-scorer in ODIs
While it was a memorable knock for Virat Kohli, marking his return to form on his international comeback, he also achieved an incredible milestone along the way. During the course of his unbeaten 74, Kohli became the second-highest run-getter in ODI cricket.
He went past veteran Kumar Sangakkara on the list. Sangakkara finished his career with 14234 ODI runs from 380 innings at an average of 41.98 with 25 hundreds and 93 fifties.
Kohli now has 14255 runs from 293 innings at an average of 57.71 with 51 tons and 75 half-centuries. He is only behind the legendary Sachin Tendulkar, who amassed 18426 runs from 452 innings at an average of 44.83 with 48 hundreds and 96 fifties.
Notably, Kohli also became the highest run-getter in white-ball international cricket (ODI plus T20I) overall. He has 18443 runs across both formats, overtaking Tendulkar, who scored 18436.
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