Kohli, showcasing his impeccable skills and technique, reached his 29th Test hundred, off 180 balls, with a four off Shannon Gabriel, solidifying his reputation as one of the greatest batsmen of the modern era. With the ton, Kohli also ended his overseas century drought, scoring his first overseas Test hundred since December 2018.
Kohli now equalled legendary Sir Don Bradman in the list of most centuries in Test cricket. Bradman had scored 29 hundreds in 52 Tests, while Kohli reached the milestone in his 111th Test.
Kohli celebrated the feat with a big smile, embracing his partner Jadeja and raising the bat to a standing ovation from his teammates. He then took a bow and kissed his wedding neck chain.
Kohli’s stellar performance in this Test match adds to his impressive display in the first Test, where he scored a well-made 76 in Roseau.
With this century, Kohli has now scored two Test hundreds out of his last five innings this year, after breaking a streak of 41 innings without reaching the milestone between November 2019 and March 2023.
Not only did Kohli’s century propel his personal records, but it also played a crucial role in India’s first innings total. Alongside the talented all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, Kohli contributed significantly in taking India’s score past the 300-run mark.
In addition to his century, Kohli achieved another feat in Test cricket. On Thursday, he surpassed the legendary Virender Sehwag‘s tally of 8,586 runs to become the fifth highest run-scorer for India in Test cricket.
Leading the list of Indian batsmen with the highest Test runs is the iconic Sachin Tendulkar, who amassed a staggering 15,921 runs in 200 Test matches, averaging an impressive 53.78. Following Tendulkar is Rahul Dravid, with 13,288 runs in 164 Tests, securing the second position in the tally. Sunil Gavaskar, the first player to reach 10,000 runs in Test cricket, holds the third spot with 10,122 runs in 125 matches, while VVS Laxman occupies the fourth position with 8,781 runs in 134 matches.
On Thursday, Kohli also became only the fourth Indian player to reach the remarkable milestone of 500 international caps, an achievement only accomplished by a select few in the history of cricket.
The elite list includes the iconic Sachin Tendulkar, who reigns supreme with a staggering 664 international appearances. Joining him are two other revered figures of Indian cricket – former captain MS Dhoni, who has represented the country 538 times, and the current coach Rahul Dravid, with 509 international caps to his name.
Others in this elite list are: Mahela Jayawardene (652), Kumar Sangakkara (594), Sanath Jayasuriya (586), Ricky Ponting (560), Shahid Afridi (524) and Jacques Kallis (519).