In Stats: Virat’s Historic 204 & India’s Highest Test Totals

A complete analysis of Virat Kohli’s fourth double century & more.

As expected, India bossed over Bangladesh in the first-ever Test match between the two teams played on Indian soil.

After opting to bat first, the Indian team milked a bowling attack that lacked the experience and sting to test them consistently, to post their fifth-highest total in Test cricket. The Indian team had the opportunity to accumulate more than the 687 runs they did; but captain Virat Kohli sensed his team had enough runs on the board and declared his team’s innings closed.

The superior team on all counts, India were expected to dominate the contest but perhaps not to the extent that they did. Barring opener KL Rahul who dragged the ball onto his stumps in the first over of the match, every other Indian batsman who walked out to bat made a meaningful score.

Murali Vijay played some pleasing strokes to post his ninth Test hundred, skipper Virat Kohli broke a slew of records as he scored his 16th Test hundred and wicket-keeper Wriddhiman Saha scored his second Test hundred. Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane and Ravindra Jadeja may have felt they missed out even though each of them posted half-centuries. Jadeja remained unbeaten on 60 when Kohli called his batsmen back in.

The highlight of day two was Virat Kohli who scored yet another double hundred to become the first-ever cricketer to do so in four consecutive Test series. Coming into this series, the 28-year old had scored double tons in the West Indies, and against New Zealand and England at home.

Virat didn’t as much break a sweat while coasting to his fourth Test double century. There was seldom a phase in his innings when he was forced to do something a little different or when he had to slow down.

What was particularly impressive was the momentum Virat maintained throughout the innings. He was handed a welcome gift – a short delivery with plenty of width – which was duly put away to the cover boundary, and there was no looking back thereafter.

His supreme level of confidence could be read from the way he handled two tricky periods of play. In the dying stages of day one he scored at a strike-rate of 108.33 after Bangladesh took the second new ball. Then in the first hour of day two, his strike-rate read 113.51.

Kohli’s overall strike-rate of 82.92 would have done any batsman proud in 50-over cricket.

While there was plenty of joy in watching Virat score those runs and reach those milestones, today’s innings also provided a glimpse into his personality. In the past, playing against smaller teams seems to have motivated some of the greats. Virat on the other hand has developed an insatiable hunger for runs – and to win matches for his team – irrespective of whether the opponent is ranked number one or placed at the bottom of the pile.