Virat Kohli mixes grit, brilliance to play starring role for India
Virat Kohli rode his luck before delivering a batting exhibition in a brilliant innings of 149 to keep India in sight of England on a gripping second day of the first test at Edgbaston on Thursday.
The India captain made England pay dearly for dropped catches when on 21 and 51, blazing to his 22nd test century and first in England to end a sorry run of scores on English soil. In fact, his total beat the combined scores in his 10 previous innings in England from India's five-test tour in 2014.
After he was the last man out with about 30 minutes left of the day, Kohli was given a standing ovation around Edgbaston, with England fans also showing their appreciation of one of cricket's box-office talents.
Kohli opened his shoulders late in his knock and finished with a total of 22 fours and a six off his penultimate ball as he successfully hogged the strike to demonstrate his excellent game management.
Thanks to Kohli, India was eventually dismissed for 274 for a first-innings deficit of 13 runs having been 59-3, 100-5 and 169-7 at various stages.
England, which started the day by adding just two runs to its overnight 285-9, ended it by closing on 9-1 in its second innings after offspinner Ravichandran Ashwin bowled Alastair Cook for 0, in a virtual repeat of the opener's first-innings dismissal.