For India skipper Virat Kohli, it was another record-setting day on the cricket field.
The 31-year-old batsman, who has made it a habit to shatter milestones in cricket, equalled the record set by Ricky Ponting for scoring the most number of international centuries across formats as captain. This was Kohli’s 41st ton as captain and he got to the record held by Ponting in exactly half the number of innings: 188 compared to 376.
One of Bangladesh’s concussion substitutes for the match, Taijul Islam, sent back Kohli on 136 with a stunning outfield catch on day two of the first day-night Test for both teams. It was a necessary breakthrough for the visitors because yet another double century seemed imminent for Kohli.
Taijul returned to the XI alongwith Mehidy Hasan as substitutes for Nayeem Hasan and Liton Das, both of whom pulled out due to concussion fears after being hit on the helmet in India’s pink ball debut in Kolkata.
Taijul, a left-arm spinner, made it count with a wicket of Ajinkya Rahane for 51 and then played a big hand in Kohli’s prized wicket off paceman Ebadat Hossain.
Kohli, who completed his 27th Test century in the first session, flicked a sliding leg-side delivery from Ebadat to be caught by a diving Taijul at fine leg. Taijul seemed to have misjudged the ball before he leapt to his right and remained airborne while taking the catch with both hands.
It was Ebadat’s third delivery with the second new ball that Bangladesh took in the 81st over.
A disbelieving Kohli returned to a standing ovation from the packed crowd at Eden Gardens that remains sold out for the first four days of the spectacle.
India declared with a lead of 241 runs.
Here’s a selection of the reactions to Kohli’s classy century:
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