Virat Kohli Requires A Century in Third Test of BGT 2024-25 To Level Sunil Gavaskar’s Rare Record

Virat Kohli has a better chance of achieving a historical record in the ongoing third test match of the Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 at the Gabba in Brisbane.

Interestingly, Kohli can become the third visiting batter to accomplish a century at five different venues in Australia (Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Sydney) after the former cricketers Sunil Gavaskar and Alastair Cook.

In addition, Kohli can surpass former Indian head coach Rahul Dravid’s records of scoring the most runs and fifties against Australia in tests.

It is a great opportunity for the 36-year-old Indian cricketer to add another exceptional record to his test career. Out of four innings in the first two tests, Virat was able to score just 123 runs including his unbeaten 30th test century in Perth (his scores of 5 and *100 in the first test, 7 and 11 in the second test).

Although the Gabba test is Virat Kohli’s 100th international game against Australia, his subpar form in Adelaide and lackluster records in Brisbane pose a huge uncertainty about scoring an impressive century. Moreover, Kohli is the only non-Australian batter to achieve 12 centuries in Australia across all three formats of international cricket.

As the series is leveled with 1-1, India aims to take a lead in the 5-match test series with a convincing victory in Brisbane. Also, the entire focus shifts toward Virat Kohli on how he develops his legacy on Australian soil.

Gavaskar vs Cook vs Kohli: Test Centuries at Different Venues in Australia

In comparison to Sunil Gavaskar and Alastair Cook accomplishing test centuries at five different venues in Australia, the below tabulated stats prove that Virat Kohli has missed out on scoring a ton at Gabba:

1. Sunil Gavaskar’s 5 Test Centuries in Australia:

Sunil Gavaskar’s five test tons in Australia include three of them scored in Brisbane, Perth, and Melbourne in 1977, while the remaining two were achieved in Adelaide and Sydney in 1985.

2. Alastair Cook’s 5 Test Centuries in Australia:

Alastair Cook achieved a triple-digit score in Perth in 2006 and went on to score test centuries in Brisbane, Adelaide, and Sydney in 2010-11 and scored the fifth one in Melbourne in 2017.

3. Virat Kohli’s 7 Test Centuries at 4 Different Venues in Australia:

Out of seven test centuries Virat Kohli scored in Australia, three of them have been recorded in Adelaide, two in Perth, and one in Sydney and Melbourne each. 

Virat Kohli’s Test Scores at Gabba: Not Even a Single Fifty-Plus Score!

Shockingly, Virat Kohli hasn’t even managed to inch closer to a fifty-run-mark in the only Gabba Test played during the Australian tour in 2014-15 and the below stats highlight his unsuccessful records in 2 innings at this venue:

2 Records of Rahul Dravid’s that Kohli Can Break in Brisbane Test BGT 2024-25

These are the two notable records of Rahul Dravid that Virat Kohli can easily surpass in the Brisbane Test:

1. Test Runs vs Australia:

Having scored 2,165 runs against Australia in 48 innings (27 tests), Virat Kohli needs just two runs to beat Rahul Dravid’s tally of 2,166 runs in 62 innings (33 test matches).

2. Most Fifty-Plus Scores vs Australia:

Rahul Dravid’s 15 fifty-plus scores against Australia include 2 hundreds and 13 fifties. On the other side, Kohli’s 14 fifty-plus scores include 9 centuries and five half-centuries against the Aussies. If he manages to score 50+ runs in both innings in Brisbane, he would easily overtake Dravid’s position in this list.

Final Opinion:

Based on Virat Kohli’s recent form and previous records at Gabba, it would be a challenging task for him to accumulate runs at this venue. However, the King of Cricket is expected to keep his past aside and come up with a stunning performance in the third test of the BGT 2024-25.