Indian skipper Virat Kohli who has so far tumbled several records in his career will stand a chance to chase yet another feat when he leads India in the first One Day International in the three-match series against Australia in Mumbai on Tuesday.
The star batsman is just one century short of matching his idol Sachin Tendulkar in the number of ODI centuries on a home ground. Currently, with 20 tons in the 50-over format, Tendulkar holds the record of most ODI tons, while Kohli sits at 19.
The 31-year-old who has 43 ODI hundreds, will also be chasing Tendulkar’s record of most ODI centuries against Australia. While the master blaster heads the list with nine, Kohli is just one short with eight centuries.
He is also tied at the top of the list with former Australian skipper, Ricky Ponting for most international tons across formats as a captain. Until November 2019, Ponting held the record of the highest number of centuries with 41 tons, but Kohli equalled his record when he hit the three-digit score against Bangladesh.
Kohli, who breaks one or the other record in virtually every game he plays, also recently became the fastest to reach the milestone of 11,000 international runs in three formats as a captain during India’s T-20 win over Sri Lanka.
India to play against Australia in a three-match ODI series beginning on January 14. Source: AAP Image/ AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi
“With Steve Smith and David Warner’s return, it is going to be a clash of the titans. Plus, one saw how the Aussies rallied after being 0-2 down to stump India 3-2 in the series in March last year. So a lot is at stake.
"But let's not forget that India is currently the best all-round cricket side team in the world, so it will no doubt be a thrilling contest,” Mr Upadhyay told SBS Punjabi.
The first match of the series will be played at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday, followed by the second game slated for January 17 in Rajkot and the final match of the series will be played on January 19 in Bengaluru.
