Kohli registers 3rd ton in series, emulates Gavaskar

Virat Kohli plays a shot during his scintillating knock of 169 on day 3 of the third Test match in Melbourne on Sunday.

With his defiant century at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday, Virat Kohli became only the second Indian batsman after Sunil Gavaskar to score three Test hundreds in a series against Australia.

Kohli has one more match to go before he closes this series but for the record Gavaskar has scored four Test hundreds twice on overseas tours.

Kohli’s career-best 169 is also the highest score by a visiting batsman since Virender Sehwag’s 195 in December 2003.

The Indian vice-captain came into bat at a difficult time for India, who were responding to Australia’s first-innings score of 530, and scored his ninth Test century to put the visitors in a better position at 462 for eight at close of play.

Stitching a record 262-run fourth-wicket partnership with Ajinkya Rahane, Kohli not only showed temperament but also class in his fabulous knock.

Kohli, his 272-ball stay laced with 18 fours, though was out caught behind off Mitchell Johnson as umpires called stumps with ten balls to spare.

The No.4 batsman, who has recorded his fourth ton in Australia overall, had a wonderful first Test in Adelaide as stand-in-skipper, getting centuries (115 and 141) in both the innings only to see his side lose by a mere 48 runs.

Playing his 36th Test match, the 26-year-old also increased his century count on overseas pitches. The batsman is placed eighth in Asian list, led by Sachin Tendulkar (18), of century-makers outside the continent.

Apart from his four tons in Australia, Kohli has notched up the three-figure mark thrice in India and one each in South Africa and New Zealand.