This was expected. India captain Virat Kohli notched up his 50th international century (18 in Tests and 32 in ODIs) on the exciting fifth and final day of the first Test against Sri Lanka that ended in a draw at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Monday.
Kohli's 18th Test century — 104 not out — laid the platform for India to set the visitors a stiff target of 231 in a minimum of 49 overs. But, after pacers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Md Shami shared six wickets among themselves to take the hosts within striking distance of a sensational win, bad light stopped play with visitors at 75/7 and forced the Test into a draw.
In the second innings, after a disastrous first, the match might have slipped out of India's hands when openers Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul departed after a good start. It was left to Kohli to dig India out of trouble and he did so with aplomb.
The day belonged to Kohli. He took time to settle down before accelerating in the latter half of his knock to reach his hundred off just 119 balls with a six over long-off off Lankan pacer Suranga Lakmal, and with it declaring India's second innings closed shortly before tea.
Kohli scored at a rapid pace but did not get as much strike as he would have wished when batting with the tail. From the dressing room, India chief coach Ravi Shastri asked him to carry on and thus, Kohli reached his ton.
After the draw, Kohli said: "It (50 international hundreds) feels good. It hasn't been a long journey yet. If I can step up and perform, that will give me more pleasure than thinking of the number of hundreds I have. That will remain the mindset till I play this game."
He joined Sunil Gavaskar for the most Test centuries by India captains – 11. He reached 50 international centuries in 348 innings, joint fastest with South African Hashim Amla.
There are only seven above him in terms of most international hundreds, with Sachin Tendulkar being the lone Indian with the magical figure of 100. Kohli is not far from Tendulkar's most ODI centuries (49).
Kohli is sure to go past the all-time greats Brian Lara (West Indies, 53 hundreds) Hashim Amla (South Africa, 54), Mahela Jayawardene (Sri Lanka, 54) Jacques Kallis (South Africa, 62), Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka, 63) and Ricky Ponting (Australia, 71 centuries) one after another before challenging Tendulkar's century of centuries.
