KOLKATA: The iconic Eden Gardens is not just used to witnessing history but is itself a part of cricketing folklore. Any landmark achieved in this cathedral of cricket is special. When Virat Kohli called his feat the stuff of dreams, it was no overstatement.
The noise in the stadium was deafening when he equalled his idol Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 49 hundreds in his inimitable style against South Africa on Sunday. What made the landmark knock more special was that it came on his birthday on the same ground where he scored his first ODI hundred. Kohli helped India reach a total of 326 as the hosts handed South Africa a resounding 243-run defeat. He only took 277 innings, as compared to Sachin’s 451, to get to hundred No 49. With this, he has etched his name in the echelons of greatness.
The hundred seemed inevitable too. It was just a matter of time after a string of scores that reflected his pristine form. The prolific batter had missed chances to score a ton thrice in the tournament when he got out for 85, 95 and 88 runs against Australia, England and Sri Lanka, respectively. Such has been his dominance in the one-day format over the years, especially while chasing, that it has earned him the moniker Chase King.
The 121-ball 101 not out might have been his slowest ODI ton but it came at the right time on a surface, which was on the slower side, making batting tricky. “When you lose two wickets and don’t have Hardik (Pandya), you need to bat deep and get to a stage where the opposition feels like we have to restrict them. Every opportunity to play for India is a big one, to be able to ton up on my birthday is the stuff of dreams. Grateful to God that I’ve been blessed with such moments,” Kohli summed up his emotions during the break.