Virat Kohli betters Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag for incredible all-time Indian Test stat

Indian captain Virat Kohli returned to the squad for the first Test against England after skipping the final three matches in Australia as part of his paternity leave. While India lost the match by 227 runs and went 1-0 down in the four-match series, skipper Kohli regained his form with the bat to mark some positives for the hosts from an otherwise lacklustre outing. He scored 72 runs on a rabid Day 5 Chennai pitch as the rest of the Indian batting line-up crumbled around him.

Virat Kohli and co. go 1-0 down in India vs England Test series

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Virat Kohli topples Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag with sublime 72

Virat Kohli registered his 24th Test half-century on Day 5 at Chennai en route to scoring 72 from 104 balls. His stay at the crease was derailed by English all-rounder Ben Stokes. Through his 72-run knock, Kohli top-scored for India in the fourth innings of a Test match for the 10th time in his career.

Among all cricketers since 1950, Virat Kohli is just third on the list of Indian batsmen top-scoring in the inningsd the most number of times in fourth innings. He is currently behind former Indian captains and batting icons Sunil Gavaskar (13 in 33 innings) and Sachin Tendulkar (12 in 60 innings). Kohli reached his 10th of such score in just his 24th fourth innings for India.

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The Indian captain is followed by Rahul Dravid, who also top-scored for India on 10 occasions. However, it took Dravid 56 Test innings to get to that number. Former Indian batsman and explosive opener Virender Sehwag is next on the list with nine from 33 innings. Ahead of the India vs England 2nd Test match, here is a look at the entire list of this incredible all-time Indian Test stat.

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India vs England 2021 Test series updates

The ongoing India vs England Test series also forms a part of the ongoing inaugural ICC World Test Championship. In order to qualify for the final and set a date with New Zealand, Virat Kohli and co. now needs to win the remaining matches against England and pocket the series either by a 2-1 or a 3-1 margin.

India vs England 2nd Test match

The India vs England 2nd Test match will be played at the same venue from Saturday, February 13 onwards. Here is a look at the entire India vs England 2021 series, that spans four Tests, five T20Is and three ODIs over a month-and-a-half long tour.

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Image source: BCCI Twitter