India v Australia: Will Virat Kohli's record-breaking run of double hundreds continue?
Thursday 23 February 2017 06:29, UK
Virat Kohli has the chance to stretch a truly remarkable scoring run in the upcoming four-Test series against Australia, live on Sky Sports from Thursday.
Having scored four Test double centuries in his last four series - breaking Sir Don Bradman's and Rahul Dravid's record runs of three - Kohli is now going for five against the Aussies.
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Here's a closer look at Kohli's record-breaking run…
200 v West Indies (1st Test, Antigua, July 2016)
283 balls, 24 x 4s, 0 x 6s, Strike-rate: 70.67
His first. No, not just the first of the sequence, but Kohli's first ever double-hundred, making the three he has swiftly added since all the more remarkable. Coming in his 42nd Test, the West Indies were Kohli's first victims - putting them to the sword in a comprehensive innings-and-92-run win.
Kohli struck exactly 200 - chopping Shannon Gabriel onto his stumps two balls after reaching the milestone - as India amassed 566-8 declared in their first innings. Kohli put on a 168-run partnership with Ravichandran Ashwin (113), who hit the third of his four Test hundreds, all made against the hapless West Indies.
211 v New Zealand (3rd Test, Indore, October 2016)
366 balls, 20 x 4s, 0 x 6s, SR: 57.65
Despite the 2-0 scoreline in their favour going into the third and final Test, India - and Kohli in particular - hadn't had things all their own way in the home series against New Zealand. The hosts were yet to score over 400 with the bat, with Kohli averaging a mere 22.75.
But enter Indore for the third Test and Kohli let rip, scoring 211 off 366 balls, sharing in a record fourth-wicket partnership for India in Tests with Ajinkya Rahane (188), who fell 12 short of a maiden double ton of his own. India ultimately declared on 557-5 in their first innings before an emphatic 321-run win secured a 3-0 series whitewash.
235 v England (4th Test, Mumbai, December 2016)
340 balls, 25 x 4s, 1 x 6s, SR: 69.11
England were next to suffer, and not for the first time in the series. Already severely bruised by Kohli's 167-run knock in the second Test in Visakhapatnam and his 101.25 series average, the Indian skipper went even better in Mumbai, notching a Test-best 235 to equal Bradman's and Dravid's record.
Kohli crashed 25 fours and one six in his 340-ball stay at the crease. It was the standout knock, but not the solitary century, of the innings, as opener Murali Vijay (136) and bowling allrounder Jayant Yadav (104) also hit hundreds against a wounded and weary England team. India would score 631 in an innings win, while a week later it would be a staggering 759-7 declared - although with Kohli only contributing 15 - as another innings victory propelled them to a 4-0 series success.
204 v Bangladesh (Only Test, Hyderabad, February 2017)
246 balls, 24 x 4s, 0 x 6s, SR: 82.92
Kohli's history-making moment arrived in the solitary Test against Bangladesh in Hyderabad earlier this month. There was no hint of complacency from the Indian skipper as he smashed a 239-ball double century - comfortably the quickest of his four double tons.
Bangladesh had made the ideal start to the Test, dismissing KL Rahul fourth ball, but then hundreds for Vijay (108) and Wriddhiman Saha (106) coupled with Kohli's record feat saw India cruise to an insurmountable 687-6 declared on their way to 208-run win. It secured India a sixth-straight home series success, with Kohli's side undefeated across those 19 Tests (winning 17), another record the skipper will look to extend with Australia's visit.
Watch Kohli and India in action in the first Test against Australia in Pune, live on Sky Sports 2 from 3.50am on Thursday.
