Virat Kohli equals Sir Don Bradman with 29th Test ton; goes past Brian Lara's tally

Team India batter Virat Kohli created history on Friday, becoming the first cricketer to score a hundred in his 500th international game during the second Test against West Indies at Port of Spain in Trinidad. With his 29th Test hundred, and first away from home in nearly five years, the 34-year-old equaled Sir Don Bradman’s record of Test tons.

At stumps on Day 1 of the Trinidad Test, Kohli was batting on 87. He brought up a dogged hundred on Friday, driving West Indies pacer Shannon Gabriel for a boundary. With the stroke, he also drew level with late Aussie legend Bradman. The latter needed only 52 Tests to notch up 29 hundreds.

Meanwhile, Kohli broke another major record by notching up three figures in Trinidad. He moved up to the fourth position among batters with the most tons at the No. 4 position. Earlier, Brian Lara and Kohli were tied with 24 hundreds each, but the Indian batter notched up his 25th century at the No. 4 position on Friday. Only Sachin Tendulkar (44), Jacques Kallis (35), and Mahela Jayawardene (30) are above Kohli on the illustrious list.

Speaking of current players, England’s Joe Root and Australia’s Steve Smith have scored 19 tons each while batting at the No. 4 position.

With his three-figure score against West Indies, Kohli also became the fastest cricketer to score 76 international hundreds. He got there in 559 innings, going past the previous record set by Tendulkar (587 innings).

---

“I have got 15 centuries away from home” - Virat Kohli

Speaking after the end of the second day’s play in Trinidad, Kohli downplayed all the talk around him not scoring an overseas Test ton for nearly five years.

Pointing out his away record, he told the host broadcaster:

“Honestly, these things are for others to talk on the outside. I have got 15 centuries away from home, not quite a bad record. I have got more centuries away from home than I have got at home. We haven't played 30 Test matches away from home. I don't know how many we have played but it is not a big number. I have got a few 50-plus scores but, with me if I get a fifty it is like I missed out on a hundred and if I get 120 it is like I missed out on a double hundred.

“I just have to focus on what I can do for the team and try to bat to the best of my abilities and help the team as much as possible,” the 34-year-old went on to add.

Kohli hit 11 fours in his 121 before being run out by a direct hit from Alzarri Joseph.