Virat Kohli became only the fourth Indian to score 9000 Test runs.
Since the start of his career, Virat Kohli has been a run machine across formats and broke numerous records with his willow. Take any record about Indian batters, and there’s a massive chance of Virat being somewhere at the top of the list. There was a lean patch in the middle, but he has made a solid comeback since 2023 and showed his ruthless side.
However, his recent form in Tests hasn’t been great, for Kohli has often batted with a faulty technique, resulting in quick dismissals. But he finally stepped up when the team required the most against New Zealand, playing a prudent knock. In the same innings, he became only the fourth Indian batter to make 9000 Test runs.
Below is a complete description of each Indian batter achieving this remarkable feat.
Sachin Tendulkar
Arguably the greatest ever Test batter, Sachin Tendulkar at the top of the table is no surprise. He scored 15921 runs at a whopping average of 53.78 in 329 Test innings in a 24-year career. Further, he also hit 68 fifties and 51 centuries, the most by a batter in this format.
He is also an all-time leading run-scorer in Tests, for no other batter has scored more than 15000 Test runs. His best score of 248* came against Bangladesh in Dhaka in 2004. He took 179 innings to reach 9000-run mark, the second-fastest among Indian batters.
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Rahul Dravid
The Wall, Rahul Dravid is the second Indian batter in this elite list, for he is India’s second-most run-getter in Tests. He has 13265 runs at an average of 52.63 in 284 Test innings. He has hit 63 fifties and 36 centuries.
Further, Dravid is also the fastest Indian and third-fastest overall to 9000 Test runs, taking only 176 innings to accomplish this feat. Only Kumar Sangakkara (172) and Steven Smith (174) are faster than Dravid. Given the tough situations Dravid batted in, it is a remarkable record to have.
Sunil Gavaskar
Sunil Gavaskar was the first-ever batter to score 10000 Test runs, achieving this feat in 1987. Overall, he has 10122 runs at a terrific average of 51.12 in 214 Test innings, with the best of 236*. He has also compiled 45 fifties and 34 centuries, the third-most by an Indian batter.
Gavaskar took 192 innings to reach 9000 Test runs, the third-fastest among Indians. It won’t be an exaggeration to say Gavaskar was India’s first batting superstar. Technique-wise and temperament-wise, he was so compact that even ferocious speedsters of those eras couldn’t stop him from thriving in arduous conditions.
Virat Kohli
The latest entrant in the 9000-run mark in Test cricket, Virat Kohli is easily a modern-day great. Despite a lean patch, he has scored 9000 runs at an average of almost 49 in 197 innings. He took the most innings among Indians to achieve this landmark.
Some of his knocks in alien conditions will forever be etched in the minds of fans and viewers. He batted in a bowling-dominated era and still scored runs almost everywhere, which remains a feature of his Test career. He scored a fine 70 in his latest innings before losing his wicket but completed 9000 runs in the process.
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