Virat Kohli Scores 25th Test Century, Enters Bradman’s Elite Club

Virat became the second-quickest batsman in Test history to score 25 Test hundreds after Donald Bradman’s 68 innings

Captain Virat Kohli scored his 25th Test century and helped India to 252/7 at Lunch on day three of the third Test against Australia in Perth on Sunday, 16 December.

The Indian skipper scored 123 runs, including 13 fours and a six, the first hundred in Perth since Sachin Tendulkar's effort back in 1992 (114 at WACA Ground).

From India’s overnight score of 172/3, the team made a torrid start to the day as Ajinkya Rahane (51) was caught behind off Nathan Lyon on the fourth ball of the first over.

However, with Hanuma Vihari for company, Kohli went about his business at the other end as India garnered 42 runs in the first hour of play. In doing so, Kohli took India past 200 in the 80th over, and then reached his hundred off 257 balls, breaking a handful of records.

1. This was Virat Kohli’s 25th Test century, his fifth of the year.
2. It was his seventh Test ton against Australia and sixth on Australian soil.
3. This was also Kohli’s 34th hundred as Indian skipper across formats, second only to Ricky Ponting's 41 centuries as Australian captain.
4. Kohli is now also the Indian captain with the most runs in Tests in a calendar year.
5. He has also scored the most runs by a captain after 44 Tests.
6. In context of history, Virat became the second-quickest batsman in Test history to score 25 Test hundreds (127 innings), second only to Sir Donald Bradman’s 68 innings.

The celebrations though were cut short as Australia used the second new ball to good effect, with Vihari caught behind off Josh Hazlewood (2-66) in the 86th over.

Pant then joined his captain in the middle, and played an uncharacteristic innings unlike Adelaide, adding 18 runs for the sixth wicket as India crossed 250 and started closing the gap with Australia's first innings' total of 326.

But Kohli fell before lunch, edging Pat Cummins (1-54) to second slip where Peter Handscomb just got his fingers under the ball. TV replays were not sufficient enough to overturn the on-field umpire's soft signal of dismissal.