In the Centurion Test against South Africa, Virat Kohli outpaced Sachin Tendulkar’s record for the most runs scored by an Indian hitter. He scored 76 runs in 82 balls during the second in South Africa. So he leads in the all-format runs tally.
India lost to South Africa by innings and 32 runs at Centurion’s SuperSport Park on Thursday, December 28. The Proteas first scored 408, gaining a 163 lead. India then managed only 131 in 31.4 overs in their second shot.
In the second innings, Virat Kohli was the only batsman for the visitors, hitting 12 fours and a six in his fluid stroke play. He also overtook Tendulkar on the record of Indian hitters with the highest runs in South African international cricket during his innings.
After 35 innings, the 35-year-old has 1786 runs in every forms in South Africa at an average of 57.61, with five hundreds and nine fifties to his credit. Sachin Tendulkar has amassed 1724 runs at an average of 35.91 in 51 innings, including six hundreds and four fifties.
Of the 1786 runs that Virat Kohli has scored, 833 have come in 16 innings during Test matches, averaging 52.06 with two hundreds and four fifties. In 16 ODI innings, Kohli has hammered 898 runs at an average of 74.83, with three hundreds and five fifties. He has scored 55 runs with a strike rate of 125 from three innings in T20Is.
He was looking excellent in the first innings as well, before reaching 76 in Centurion’s second innings. The right-hander struck five fours and scored 38 off 64, but Kagiso Rabada sent him a jaffa that he could only nick behind the stumps.
KL Rahul top-scored for India with 101 runs as they were all out for 245 in their opening innings. With scores of 185 and 84, respectively, from Dean Elgar and Marco Jansen, South Africa answered with a total of 400 or higher.
Most runs by Indian batters in South Africa
When we talk about Indian cricket players scoring the most in South Africa, Virat Kohli and Tendulkar come in first and second. Close behind in the third spot is current coach, Rahul Dravid. He chalked up 1136 runs over 33 innings, averaging 36.64. He hit a hundred once and got fifty points nine times.
Sourav Ganguly (897 runs from 25 innings), a former captain of India, and MS Dhoni (872 runs from 34 innings) trail behind Dravid.
Virat Kohli (8790) also passed VVS Laxman (8781) with his second-inning effort in Centurion, moving up to become India’s fourth-highest run scorer in Test cricket.