KOHLI FASTEST TO HIT 10,000 RUNS

Michael Vaughan called Virat Kohli the GOAT (Greatest of all time). Who could blame the former England captain? Kohli just eclipsed his idol Sachin Tendulkar to become the fastest batsman to reach the 10,000-run landmark in ODIs.

Here is how Kohli compares against his predecessors:

The intensity and consistency with which you bat is just amazing. @imVkohli, congratulations on achieving 10,000 runs in ODIs. Keep the runs flowing. Sachin Tendulkar @sachin_rt

Congratulations to @imVkohli to achieve milestone of 10000 runs in ODI cricket, Great player & Humble human, u entertaining all fans of cricket with ur Skills , Passion & determination, stay blessed Mohammad Hafeez @MHafeez22

Run-machine Virat Kohli sprinted to fastest 10,000 ODI runs but West Indies stole a tie from India with Shai Hope’s gutsy hundred in an exhilarating second one-dayer here on Wednesday.

India notched up 321 for six, while the West Indies, needing 14 runs in the final over and five off the last ball, levelled the score with Hope (123 not out) cutting Umesh Yadav for a boundary.

Besides Hope’s ton, there was also Shimron Hetmyer’s 94-run blitzkrieg.

Kuldeep Yadav showed his worth again with three wickets.

Opting to bat, Kohli fired 157 off 129 balls, while Ambati Rayudu, who is seen as the answer to the team’s persistent problems at the number four slot by Kohli himself, made a fluent 73 off 80 deliveries.

The 29-year-old Kohli, who hit 13 boundaries and four sixes, bettered the iconic Sachin Tendulkar’s record by an incredible 54 innings, and then went past 1000 runs in the calendar year in only 11 innings, which is also the fastest.

During their stay in the middle, the two were involved in a partnership of 139 runs in 142 balls for the third wicket at the Dr YSR ACAVDCA Cricket Stadium, set amidst picturesque hills.

While he acknowledged the fans’ applause by raising his bat after reaching the 10k landmark, the crowd was on its feet again when Kohli creamed Marlon Samuels to the cover boundary to bring up his century, his 37th in this format.

Kohli pulled, cut, flicked and drove in the manner he does best before cutting loose towards the end. A six down the ground off debutant left-arm pacer Obed McCoy brought up 1,000 runs for him in the year.

He then deposited McCoy over long-on for another maximum and in the next over, smashed Roach for a six and two fours to power his team past 300.

India were, however, off to a poor start when Rohit Sharma (4) was dismissed early by Kemar Roach in the fourth over of the day.

After the fall of his opening partner, who like Kohli entered the game on the back of a big hundred in the series-opener, Shikhar Dhawan continued to find the fence a couple of times while playing an upper cut to slice Roach’s short ball outside off for a six over the third man.

However, Ashley Nurse had Dhawan trapped in front of the wicket after a West Indies review went in their favour. At 40 for two in the ninth over, Rayudu joined his skipper and the two played fluently to keep the run rate healthy.

Save the one dropped catch by West Indies skipper Jason Holder who ran backwards from mid-off, Kohli looked untroubled throughout and seemed to be satisfied with the way his partner at the other end, Rayudu, was batting. Kohli was on 44 when he got the life.

The West Indies spinners, especially senior pro Devendra Bishoo, could not deliver on a pitch that offered turn and played slow.

That India eventually set the visitors a target of 322 was only due to Kohli’s brilliance, as conditions and the quality of opposition bowling don’t seem to matter to him anymore.

Earmarked for the critical number four slot through to the 2019 World Cup, Rayudu reposed his skipper’s faith by compiling a neat innings that contained eight boundaries.

The crowd favourite, MS Dhoni, walked in to a rousing reception and was bowled by McCoy, his maiden wicket, for 20.

Rishabh Pant was slotted ahead of Dhoni but the plan was dropped at the insistence of Kohli, who relayed a message to the dressing room while he was toying with the opposition’s bowlers. —