India’s Test captain Virat Kohli, who
recently lost his white-ball captaincy to Rohit Sharma, ended the year 2021
without scoring a century in international cricket as he departed for 18 off 32
in the second innings of the first Test at the SuperSport Park, Centurion
against South Africa on Wednesday. It has been more than two years since Kohli last scored a Test hundred.
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His last one – 136 – came against
Bangladesh at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata in November 2019. In 2020 and 2021,
Kohli could manage two fifties. In December 2020, during India’s tour of
Australia Kohli scored 74 while in 2021 at The Oval he scored 50 against England.
At the Centurion Test, Kohli fell for 35
off 94 in the first innings as he fell to a Lungi Ngidi delivery. It was a soft dismissal as Kohli played a cheap
shot. In the second innings, South Africa bowler Marco Jansen removed Kohli in
the 33rd over as the batter’s quest for his 71st ton continued. Coming to the
game, South Africa pegged back India in the first session on Day 4 of the first
Test match as India were bowled out for 174, setting a 305-run target for the
hosts.
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Jansen and Rabada took four wickets each
while Ngidi got two scalps.
On Tuesday, India lost Mayank Agarwal at
the cusp of the stumps but the visitors still ended Day three of the first Test
in the driver’s seat. India had bundled out South Africa for 197 in the third
session before the hosts lost Mayank’s wicket minutes before the end of the
play.
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Mohammed Shami took a five-wicket haul on
Day 3 and also completed 200 wickets in the longest format of the game.
In the first innings, India scored 327
after KL Rahul played a 123 runs innings.