Twitter Reactions: Virat Kohli ends century drought to set up exciting final day in Ahmedabad
Kohli departed after playing a majestic innings of 186 runs, handing India a 91-run lead to set up an exciting finale.
View : 1.2K
13 Min Read
Team India are in a position of considerable strength after toppling Australia's first-innings score, thanks to Virat Kohli's highest Test score against the Aussies. The former Indian skipper led from the front, falling just 14 short of a record-breaking double ton, to pocket a sizeable lead for the home side. While the surface at the Narendra Modi Stadium is still pretty viable for the batters, the Test match is set up for an exciting final day..
It was the Aussies who drew first blood on the fourth day after they got rid of Ravindra Jadeja in the first session. However, a well-set Virat Kohli found a valiant partner in wicketkeeper-batter KS Bharat. The duo kept the visitors at bay with their dogged partnership, taking India to Lunch without any further casualty.
After a hard grind in the morning session, the run rate picked up in the post Lunch session as Bharat dispatched Cameron Green for consecutive sixes in an over. While Kohli was inching towards a magnificent century, Bharat was on course for his maiden Test fifty before the relentless Nathan Lyon ended his innings.
The former Indian skipper did get to his century, his first in three years and 75th overall, and received a huge ovation from a jubilant Ahmedabad crowd. He stitched another terrific partnership with Axar Patel as India scored in excess of four runs per over in the second session. The home side almost reached parity before Tea, thanks to that partnership.
Kohli-Axar partnership deflates the Aussies
The post-Tea session saw the Indian batters compound the misery of the Aussie bowlers as they started to up the ante against a tired bowling unit. Axar, who has been one of the best batters in the ongoing series, brought up another crucial half-century and was the aggressor in a massive 162-run stand for the sixth wicket.
Meanwhile, Kohli reached his highest Test score against the Aussies after breaching the 150-run mark and was looking well set for a memorable double-century. But a late fightback from the Aussie bowlers forced the hand of the Indian batting ace, who departed after playing a majestic innings of 186 runs, handing India a 91-run lead to set up an exciting finale.
Australia threw a curveball when they sent in left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann to open the innings alongside Travis Head as Usman Khawaja sustained a knock during the Indian batting innings. Although the two batters managed to deal with a tricky phase, the odd ball is keeping low, which will concern the Aussies heading into the fifth day.
Here is how Twitter reacted to a dominant performance by the Indian batters on the fourth Day:
@ICC
4.1K
255
@thebharatarmy
38334
@BCCI
3.1K257
@Cricketracker
35420
@MishiAmit
1385
@WisdenIndia
9810
@KP2424.3K2.7K
@CricCrazyJohns
1.3K118@BCCI
31729
@ChennaiIPL
1.1K81Get every cricket updates! Follow Us:
Download Our App