Sydney, Jan 8 (IANS) Premier Indian batsman Virat Kohli Thursday became the first cricketer to make three Test centuries in his first three innings as captain on the third day of the fourth Test against Australia here.
He made an unbeaten 140, his 10th hundred overall, and together with young batsman Lokesh Rahul’s maiden Test ton (110) helped India to 342 for five at stumps.
Wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha (14 not out) was at the crease with Kohli when the play ended for the day Thursday.
India are still 230 runs behind Australia after the hosts posted a huge 572 for seven declared in their first innings.
Kohli, elevated to full-time Test captaincy after the sudden retirement of Mahendra Singh Dhoni from the longest format of the game, has been in stupendous form Down Under.
The 26-year-old has scored four centuries in four Tests, being the captain in three of them to amass a series aggregate of 639 runs to be second on the most runs list of the series behind Australian counterpart Steven Smith (698).
His record-setting form helped him to create another milestone Thursday when he became India’s top run-getter in a Test series against Australia, surpassing legend Rahul Dravid’s total of 619 runs from eight innings in the 2003-04 tour.