cricket

Updated: Nov 15, 2019 07:29 IST

India batsman Virat Kohli will be on the cusp of achieving a massive milestone when he comes out to bat in the first Test against Afghanistan in Indore. The right-handed batsman is currently tied at the 2nd place in the list of players with most Test centuries (19) as captain along with Australia’s Ricky Ponting. If Kohli manages to get a ton in Indore, he will surpass Ponting to take the sole spot at the 2nd position in the list. Currently, former South Africa international Graeme Smith is on the top position in the list with 23 hundreds as captain in Tests.

Kohli can also equalise Ponting’s record of centuries as captain across all formats. Ponting had scored 41 tons as captains across formats, while the Indian skipper is currently at 40. If he gets one more, he will be tied at the top spot along with Ricky Ponting.

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Kohli has 7,066 runs in the format and is currently at the 7th position in the list of Indian players with most runs in the Test. If he manages to score 146 runs in the match, he will surpass former India captain Sourav Ganguly to reach 6th position in the list. Ganguly, in his career, amassed 7,212 runs in 113 Tests, at an average of 42.17.

In terms of innings, India are also miles ahead from other teams, with Kohli & Co. inflicting an all-out in 37 innings since 2018. England (30), Sri Lanka (24) and South Africa (24) make the top four in the list. Yadav, Sharma and Shami took wickets in the morning session before Mushfiqur, who top-scored with 43, and Haque put on 68 for the fourth wicket. Spinner Ravichandran Ashwin broke the stand after getting Mominul bowled for 37. It was his 250th wicket in home Tests, and he added to the tally by then bowling Mahmudullah for 10.

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Shami ended Mushfiqur’s resistence and struck on successive deliveries to stop the Bangladesh tail from wagging. Shami bowled Mushfiqur and then trapped new man Mehidy Hasan lbw, prompting the umpires to break for Tea. Taijul Islam then played out Shami’s hat-trick ball after the break, but was later run out for one. Yadav cleaned up Ebadat Hossain to wrap up the innings in 58.3 overs.

India were 86 for one at stumps after Rohit Sharma was caught behind off paceman Abu Jayed for six. Mayank Agarwal, on 37, and Cheteshwar Pujara, on 43, put on an unbeaten 72-run stand to see off the day’s play.