Bengaluru, Oct 18: Virat Kohli reached a significant milestone on Friday, becoming the fourth Indian batter to surpass 9,000 runs in Test cricket. He joins the ranks of legendary players Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, and Sunil Gavaskar in this exclusive club.
Kohli achieved this feat during the second innings of the opening Test against New Zealand, where he also played a commanding role with a half-century. After a disappointing first-innings duck, he demonstrated remarkable resilience as India faced the challenge of chasing down a daunting 356-run deficit.
India struggled in their first innings, managing just 46 runs— their lowest total ever on home soil—while New Zealand set a solid target with 402 runs, bolstered by Rachin Ravindra's impressive century. Kohli's performance was crucial as he aimed to stabilize his team's efforts in a difficult match.
Notably, Kohli took 197 innings to reach this milestone, a longer span than his predecessors. His journey from 8,000 to 9,000 runs required 28 matches, a target he has been pursuing since 2022.
