Virat Kohli Rewrites Personal Record From Debut Series During 87* in 500th International Match
Virat Kohli scored his first run off 21st ball
Marking his 500th international appearance in Indian colours, Virat Kohli once again delivered an innings worth remembering.
Kohli's 87* breaks his own record from 2011 Barbados debut
Battling it out against the West Indies at the second Test held in the Queen’s Park Oval, Port of Spain, Trinidad, Kohli notched up an uneaten 87, turning a slow start into a key contribution to India's first innings total.
Notably, Kohli took a rather cautious approach early in his innings, with his first run coming off the 21st ball, the longest he's ever taken to get off the mark in an overseas Test. This surpassed his previous record of 19 deliveries, also against the West Indies during his debut Test series in 2011.
Entering the crease with India's score at 153/2, Kohli witnessed the fall of two of his partners, Rohit Sharma (80) and Ajinkya Rahane (8). But unmoved by the sudden jolts, Kohli steadied the innings with some resolute batting as India went into Tea on Day 1 at 182/4.
Post-Tea, Kohli was joined in the middle by Ravindra Jadeja and the pair showed a combination of resilience and aggression. The two ran briskly between the wickets, struck crucial boundaries, and built a steady partnership at a reasonable pace, helping India recover from the earlier setbacks.
Their unbroken 106-run partnership guided India to a respectable 288/4 at Stumps, with Jadeja contributing an unbeaten 36.
As Kohli stands on the cusp of yet another international century, what better stage to achieve it than his 500th international appearance. On the other hand, Jadeja appears steady and capable of adding much-needed runs to India's first innings total.
The duo will aim to continue their good form on Day 2 and help India set a huge target, thus pushing the West Indies on the backfoot.
 "Jatin")