India vs West Indies 2nd Test: Virat Kohli achieved new peak in 500th international match, eyes on 29th Test century, see

Former India captain Virat Kohli celebrated his 500th international match in a special way. Kohli scored an unbeaten 87 off 161 balls on the first day of the second Test against the West Indies at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain, Trinidad on Thursday.

During his innings, Kohli became the fifth-highest run-getter in all formats of international cricket – Tests, ODIs and T20Is – surpassing South African great Jacques Kallis. Kohli went ahead of Kallis as soon as he crossed 75 runs and now he has 25,548 runs in his 500th match. The former South African all-rounder has 25,534 runs in 519 matches with 62 hundreds and 149 fifties.

50_ on the 500th
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,#Virat Kohli_ #INDvWIonFanCode #WIvIND pic.twitter.com/0EuVH3Ctsb— FanCode (@FanCode) 20 July 2023

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Kolhi is unbeaten on 87 in his 111th Test after 274 ODIs and 115 T20Is. He moved up to 10th in the list of combined appearances in all three formats, which is topped by another India great Sachin Tendulkar with 664. Kohli hit a four against left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican (1-55) to complete his 30th Test 50. Ravindra Jadeja (36 not out) with Kohli is at the crease with an unbroken 106-run partnership for the fifth wicket.

Most runs in international cricket

34,357 – Sachin Tendulkar

28,016 – Kumar Sangakkara

27,483 – Ricky Ponting

25,957 Mahela Jayawardene

25,548 – Virat Kohli

India dominated the opening session at the Queen’s Park Oval, reaching 121-0 in 26 overs at lunch, before the West Indies counter-attacked in the afternoon by taking four wickets. After about 51 overs, India’s score at tea was 182-4. Fast bowler Jason Holder dismissed Yashasvi Jaiswal (57) to end India’s 139-run opening partnership, which was caught by Kirk McKenzie. No. 3 Shubman Gill (10) was caught behind by Kemar Roach (1-64) and Warrican soon after bowled India captain Rohit Sharma for 80, which included two sixes and nine fours.

Ajinkya Rahane’s dismissal for 8 against Shannon Gabriel (1-50) brought the hosts back into the match. But after the interval, India regained the lead and once again Kohli took the team forward with a patient innings of 161 balls with the help of eight fours.

West Indies won the toss and elected to bowl first as the hosts look to level the two-match series. There is no grass on the pitch and it is expected to be slow.

Some respect was restored for the West Indies on Thursday after the home team suffered an innings defeat inside three days in Dominica last week. India’s spinner Ravichandran Ashwin took 12 wickets in the match.

The West Indies made their debut for top-order batsman McKenzie in place of Raymon Reifer and pacer Gabriel in place of spinner Rahkeem Cornwall. Like Alyque Athanaz, a left-hander who made his debut last week, McKenzie has a first-class average of 39.40 in nine matches.

India are making debut for medium pacer Mukesh Kumar after Shardul Thakur suffered a groin injury. Kumar averages 21.55 in first-class cricket. This is the 100th match between the teams. West Indies have won 30 times and India 23 times, but West Indies have won the tournament for 21 years.

(with PTI inputs)