Virat Kohli scores 204, surpasses Don Bradman, Rahul Dravid for unique record

Virat Kohli on Friday became the first batsman to score four double centuries in four successive series after he went past the 200-run mark in the one-off Test against Bangladesh. He thus surpassed Sir Don Bradman and Rahul Dravid, who scored three double tons in three successive series.

Till about a year back, Kohli was easily the best batsman in ODI cricket, scoring centuries at will. In Tests, he was up there but not quite the best as he was yet to prove his ability to score big. He hadn’t got any double century in his career.

But since July last year, he has set the record straight. On Friday, he hit his fourth double hundred in a year, and in four successive series, to go with a 167.

In July, he made 200 against West Indies, then he followed it up with 211 against New Zealand at Indore, 235 against England at Mumbai and then here a 204 against Bangladesh in the ongoing one-off Test.

Surpasses Sehwag

Virat Kohli also surpassed Virender Sehwag for most runs in a home season. Sehwag scored 1105 runs in 2004-05 while Kohli has scored 1168 this season.

Kohli took just 239 balls to reach



his double on Friday, the knock studded with 24 fours. He was out shortly after reaching it in the post-lunch session, getting leg-before to Taijul Islam.

The feature of this knock was the ease with which he went about it. At tea on Thursday, he was 17 not out. By the end of the day’s play, he was 111 not out. Then by lunch on Friday, he had leaped to 191.

There were stunning shots, none better than the one that he played on Thursday to get to his hundred. A whip off his wrists off the front foot to midwicket fence showed the strength of wrists and the two punched drives that he hit off Taskin on either side of the bowler over the two days showed the great timing he possesses.

Kohli was expected to dominate from the start of day’s play. He began well against Taskin Ahmed punishing the width in the third over itself, getting two boundaries. The Bangladesh pacer overpitched in the next over and Kohli was up to the task hitting him straight down. Then Taskin resorted to short deliveries which he hammered to the fence with ease. And he was away.

Kohli survived a close leg-before call just before lunch but the decision was overturned on review.