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Star India batter Virat Kohli completed 25,000 runs in international cricket on Sunday, becoming only the sixth batter to touch the landmark and the fastest player to do so.
Virat reached this landmark during the second Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia in front of his home crowd at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi. In the 12th over of India's second innings in a chase of 115 runs, Kohli drove the first ball bowled by spinner Nathan Lyon for a boundary in the long-on region, exhibiting some great footwork. In the first innings, he had played a composed knock of 44 runs in 84 balls. Now, in 492 matches and 549 innings, he has scored 25,012 runs at an average of 53.55. Virat has scored 74 centuries and 129 half-centuries in international cricket, with the best score of 254*. Virat has played 106 Tests so far, in which he has 8,195 runs at an average of 48.77 with 27 tons and 28 fifties. His best score in the format is 254*. In ODIs, Virat has smashed 12,809 in 271 matches at an average of 57.69. He has 46 tons and 64 half-centuries in the format with the best score of 183. The batter has also scored 4,008 T20I runs at an average of 52.73. He has a century and 37 fifties in the format. This makes him the fastest batter to have accomplished the landmark. He surpassed compatriot and legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, who reached the 25,000-run mark in 577 innings. He is currently the sixth-highest run-scorer in the history of international cricket. The top-five runs in the history of the sport are India's Sachin Tendulkar (34,357), Sri Lankan great Kumar Sangakkara (28,016), Australian batting legend Ricky Ponting (27,483), SL's Mahela Jayawardene (25,957) and South African all-round great Jacques Kallis (25,534). He is also India's second-highest run-scorer next to Tendulkar. Coming to the match, India has set a target of 115 runs to take a series lead of 2-0. A scintillating show by spin twins Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, including a seven-for by the latter, saw Australia being skittled out for 113 in their second innings of the ongoing second test at Delhi's Ferozshah Kotla on Sunday, setting the hosts a target of 115 runs to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series for the Border-Gavaskar trophy. At lunch, India's score read 14/1, with skipper Rohit Sharma (12*) and Cheteshwar Pujara (1*) at the crease. Australia resumed their innings at 61/1, with Travis Head 39*, Marnus Labuschagne 16* seeking to build on the visitors' lead. Ashwin struck for the hosts early in the session, dismissing a dangerous Head for 43 off 46 balls and reducing Australia to 65/2. The duo of Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne then took the innings forward, adding 20 more runs before Ashwin sent back Smith for just 9. Australia was 85/3 in 19 overs. Following this, Jadeja-Ashwin ripped apart the rest of the Aussie batting attack, with the ball keeping low and shooting off the surface. The Aussies were eventually bundled out for 113 runs in just 31.1 overs. Only Head and Labuschagne could reach double digits. Jadeja got the lion's share of Aussie wickets, finishing with his career-best figures in the Test of 7/42 in 12.1 overs. Ashwin scalped 3/59 in 16 overs. Chasing 115, India lost KL Rahul for just 1, extending his lean patch in the red-ball format. Nathan Lyon had him caught behind by wicketkeeper Alex Carey. The Indian score read 6/1 in 1.1 overs. Rohit and Pujara then took India through to lunch without any further damage. (ANI)
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