With one more century in BGT 2024-25, Virat Kohli can match Sir Don Bradman's legendary feat

Seasoned Team India batter Virat Kohli roared back to form with a superb hundred in the second innings of the first Test against Australia in Perth. Having been dismissed for five in the first innings, the 36-year-old scored an unbeaten 100 off 143 balls in the second essay as India registered a 295-run triumph.

Kohli's ton in Perth was his 30th in Test cricket and first in the red-ball format since July 2023. Overall, this was the Indian batter's 10th international century in Australia, taking him past Sachin Tendulkar and Jack Hobbs among batters with most tons by a visiting batter in one country.

With one more century, Kohli will join Sir Don Bradman as only the second player to notch up 11 international tons in one nation. The latter scored 11 centuries in England between 1930 and 1948, which remains a record for most three-figure scores by a visiting batter in one country. Bradman hit 11 tons in 30 innings in England, averaging over 100 with a best of 334.

Kohli has scored 2,710 runs in 55 innings across formats in Australia, averaging 54.20, with 10 hundreds and 13 fifties and a best of 169. Currently, Hobbs (nine centuries in Australia) and Tendulkar (nine centuries in Sri Lanka) are joint-second on the list of most international hundreds by a visiting batter in a country. Sri Viv Richards (eight tons in England) is next followed by Sunil Gavaskar (seven in West Indies).

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Ravi Shastri analyzes Virat Kohli's Perth ton

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri hailed Kohli for his excellent hundred in the Perth Test against Australia. Speaking on ICC Review, he commented that the experienced batter made the desired adjustments after being undone by the bounce in the first innings.

“He came out not like a cat on a hot tin roof. That impressed me the most. Otherwise, a batsman gets out, even before the guy walks 10 yards from the stumps, Virat is halfway down into the ground," Shastri said.

“In the first innings, he got a good one that bounced. But what I liked immediately was the way he adapted. He went for the back in the crease to counter the bounce, six inches so that it gave him a little more time and basically his composure and the way he moved in the crease," the former all-rounder added.

Kohli struck eight fours and two sixes in his 100* off 143 balls as India declared their second innings on 487-6. Yashasvi Jaiswal (161) also notched up his maiden Test hundred in Australia.