Find Out the 7 Batters Who Breached Kohli’s SENA Fortress with a Century!
Virat Kohli has been regarded as the best Test captain for the Indian team, holding remarkable numbers in this format. A stat shows that over the last decade, only 7 centuries in SENA Tests have been conceded under his captaincy, marking the dominance of bowlers.
The last decade has been all about the dominance of the Indian cricket team in the Test format, for the majority of the period. This was not just defeating teams at home, but also away, which made it a bit normal for the Indian team to even secure wins in the SENA Tests.
It was possible due to captain Virat Kohli, who holds among the best records as a captain when it comes to SENA Tests. Not only did he score runs for the team whenever it was needed, he also built up a perfect bowling line-up, which was able to complete the 20 wickets mark in almost every game.
Ever since he stepped down as a captain from the Test format, it seems that the Indian team’s bowling performances have also deteriorated. In the last decade, the Indian bowlers only conceded 7 individual centuries in the SENA Tests, where Virat Kohli was the captain of the team.
However, the team has now conceded 17 individual centuries in a handful of games, under the other captains such as Jasprit Bumrah, Rohit Sharma, and Shubman Gill. Let’s now take a look at the 7 individual centuries that were conceded by the Indian team in SENA Tests under Kohli’s captaincy over the last decade.
Chris Woakes — 137*
The first of the seven centuries conceded by the Indian team under Virat Kohli’s captaincy was scored by Chris Woakes. It took place when Kohli, for the first time as a captain, went on a tour of England for the five-match Test series. England had already won the first match, and the next was being played at the Lord’s.
India were sent to bat first in this game, as James Anderson, along with the other bowlers, bowled the team all out at the score of 107. Then England came out to the crease, and at one stage, the team stood at the score of 131 for the loss of 5 wickets. That’s when Chris Woakes came in and caused trouble for the Indian bowlers.
Woakes went on to score 137 runs in 177 balls, with 21 fours, and remained not out till the end. England declared at the score of 396, and India had to come out to bat again. This time also, the English bowlers did well, as India was bowled all out at the score of 130. England won the match by an innings and 159 runs, as Chris Woakes received the POTM award.
Jos Buttler — 106
The next century also came in the India tour of England 2018, in the third Test of the series, which was being played in Nottingham. Although this match was in India’s favour, there was only one English batsman who was able to shine, and it was none other than Jos Buttler.
Batting first, India scored 329 runs in the first innings, and England was not able to respond well, getting all out at the score of 161. This helped India to once again dominate over the English bowlers, as the team scored 352 runs for the loss of 7 wickets before declaring.
England now had a target of 521, which seemed impossible to chase. However, Jos Buttler tried his best by scoring 106 runs in 176 balls with 21 fours, but he also lost his wicket to Jasprit Bumrah. Later, India went on to win the match by a margin of 203 runs. Although Buttler tried his best for England to win the match, he lacked support from the other end, which helped India to win the game.
Alastair Cook — 147
Alastair Cook, the star of the English batting line-up, is also among the 7 centurions against India under the captaincy of Virat Kohli. It also took place in the India tour of England 2018, during the fifth Test match. England was sent to bat first in this game, as the team went to score 332 runs.
India gave its best to level the scores but eventually got all out at the score of 292. This helped England’s batting line-up to dominate over the Indian bowlers yet again. The team went on to score 423 runs for the loss of 8 wickets before declaring their innings.
In the massive total of England, Alastair Cook had played an important role, as he scored 147 runs in 286 balls with 14 fours. Scoring a small chunk of his runs from boundaries showcased the classy style of batting, implemented by Cook in this game. This also helped England to end the series against India by winning the last game by 118 runs. It should also be noted that this was Alastair Cook’s final Test match.
Joe Root — 125
If there is one batsman who has consistently scored against India in the SENA Tests against Virat Kohli as a captain, it is Joe Root. His first century over the last decade against India in England came in the fifth Test of the 2018 series.
The final Test match between India and England was at a knife-edge, as India was ready to give a tough competition to the home team. But, being a part of the Fab 4, the series would surely be incomplete without Root’s masterclass. After failing to score well in the first innings, he took the opportunity in the team’s second innings.
Along with Alastair Cook, he helped the team reach the score of 423 and set a big target for the Indian team. Root, the team’s captain, ended up scoring 125 runs off 190 deliveries with 12 fours and one six. But this was just one of the many centuries he was about to score later against India.
Joe Root — 109
After ending the previous India tour of England with a century, Joe Root started the next tour also with a century. During the first match of the India tour of England 2021-22, it was for the second time that Virat Kohli led the team in the England Test series.
The first match started with India’s bowling line-up dominating over England, as the team got all out at the score of 183. Responding to the same, India posted a total of 278 runs, finishing their innings with a good lead considering the pitch conditions.
Now, England not only had to finish with a lead but also post a competitive total on the board, and Joe Root took the charge for the same. He went on to score 109 runs in 172 balls with 14 fours, before losing his wicket to Jasprit Bumrah. India now had the target of 209, but the match was drawn as day 5 went without any ball being played. India scored 52 runs for the loss of one wicket, and various fans consider that if the weather hadn’t affected the game, it would’ve been a win for India.
Joe Root — 180
The India tour of England 2021-22 was not just about India’s dominance, as it also showcased the dominance of Joe Root at his home ground against India. His third century in the list came at the 2nd Test, which was being played at Lord’s. Although it is known for India’s famous win, Root’s efforts to take the game close also can’t be denied.
Batting first in this game, India posted a total of 364 runs in the first innings. In response to the same, England went on to score 391 runs and finished with a lead of 27. Joe Root was the main star of this total, as he went on to score 180 runs in 321 balls with 18 fours. Along with that, he remained not out, missing a well-deserved double century.
Coming out in the third innings, India went on to score 298 runs for the loss of 8 wickets, as they decided to declare. England now had the target of 272 runs, and Captain Kohli wanted to finish the game as soon as possible. Thus, India bowled out England for a score of 120, winning the match by 151 runs.
Joe Root — 121
For the third Test in the 2021-22 series, India and England clashed against each other at Leeds. This match was known for India’s batting failure and England’s bowling dominance, but a few of them talk about the extraordinary consistency of Joe Root, even in this match.
India was sent to bat first in this game as the English bowlers dominated, bowling the team all out at the score of just 78. In its first innings, England went on to score 432 runs before being all out, with the help of half-centuries by Rory Burns, Haseeb Hameed, and Dawid Malan. But Joe Root, once again, smashed a century as he scored 121 runs in 165 balls with 14 fours.
India was not able to score well even in its second innings, as the team got all out at the score of 278. Despite half-centuries from Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Rohit Sharma, the team missed out on scoring well, as they lost the match by an innings and 76 runs. With this match, Joe Root had scored 4 centuries against India in its last four Tests in England.
With just 7 centuries coming under Virat Kohli’s captaincy over the last decade in SENA Tests, it showcases the strength of India’s bowling line-up under him. Along with that, it also showcases the dominance of Joe Root over the other English batsmen, which helped England dominate against India. No other teams, such as South Africa, Australia, and even New Zealand, were able to score centuries against India in SENA Tests in this period.
Comments