international cricket Archives - Lokmarg

Kohli Completes 25,000 Runs In International Cricket

By LokMarg 19th February 2023

Star India batter Virat Kohli completed 25,000 runs in international cricket on Sunday, becoming only the sixth batter to touch the landmark and the fastest player to do so.

Virat reached this landmark during the second Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia in front of his home crowd at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi.
In the 12th over of India’s second innings in a chase of 115 runs, Kohli drove the first ball bowled by spinner Nathan Lyon for a boundary in the long-on region, exhibiting some great footwork.

In the first innings, he had played a composed knock of 44 runs in 84 balls.

Now, in 492 matches and 549 innings, he has scored 25,012 runs at an average of 53.55. Virat has scored 74 centuries and 129 half-centuries in international cricket, with the best score of 254*.

Virat has played 106 Tests so far, in which he has 8,195 runs at an average of 48.77 with 27 tons and 28 fifties. His best score in the format is 254*.

In ODIs, Virat has smashed 12,809 in 271 matches at an average of 57.69. He has 46 tons and 64 half-centuries in the format with the best score of 183.

The batter has also scored 4,008 T20I runs at an average of 52.73. He has a century and 37 fifties in the format.

This makes him the fastest batter to have accomplished the landmark. He surpassed compatriot and legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, who reached the 25,000-run mark in 577 innings.

He is currently the sixth-highest run-scorer in the history of international cricket.

The top-five runs in the history of the sport are India’s Sachin Tendulkar (34,357), Sri Lankan great Kumar Sangakkara (28,016), Australian batting legend Ricky Ponting (27,483), SL’s Mahela Jayawardene (25,957) and South African all-round great Jacques Kallis (25,534).

He is also India’s second-highest run-scorer next to Tendulkar.

Coming to the match, India has set a target of 115 runs to take a series lead of 2-0.

A scintillating show by spin twins Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, including a seven-for by the latter, saw Australia being skittled out for 113 in their second innings of the ongoing second test at Delhi’s Ferozshah Kotla on Sunday, setting the hosts a target of 115 runs to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series for the Border-Gavaskar trophy.

At lunch, India’s score read 14/1, with skipper Rohit Sharma (12) and Cheteshwar Pujara (1) at the crease.

Australia resumed their innings at 61/1, with Travis Head 39, Marnus Labuschagne 16 seeking to build on the visitors’ lead.

Ashwin struck for the hosts early in the session, dismissing a dangerous Head for 43 off 46 balls and reducing Australia to 65/2.

The duo of Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne then took the innings forward, adding 20 more runs before Ashwin sent back Smith for just 9. Australia was 85/3 in 19 overs.

Following this, Jadeja-Ashwin ripped apart the rest of the Aussie batting attack, with the ball keeping low and shooting off the surface.

The Aussies were eventually bundled out for 113 runs in just 31.1 overs. Only Head and Labuschagne could reach double digits.

Jadeja got the lion’s share of Aussie wickets, finishing with his career-best figures in the Test of 7/42 in 12.1 overs. Ashwin scalped 3/59 in 16 overs.

Chasing 115, India lost KL Rahul for just 1, extending his lean patch in the red-ball format. Nathan Lyon had him caught behind by wicketkeeper Alex Carey. The Indian score read 6/1 in 1.1 overs.

Rohit and Pujara then took India through to lunch without any further damage. (ANI)

‘Just Bowl To Get Him Out’: Users Tweet For KL Rahul

By LokMarg 19th February 2023

India opener KL Rahul’s horrid run in international cricket continues as the batter failed to fire with his willow once again during the second Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test against Australia at Delhi on Sunday.

Chasing a low-pressure target of 115 runs, fans anticipated opener KL and Rohit Sharma to chase it down without any hassle given that there are two days still left in the match. But KL was the first wicket to fall. Nathan Lyon trapped him for just one run, leaving India at 6/1 in 1.1 overs.
Following his dismissal, cricket fans took to Twitter to express their frustration with KL’s dismal run of form through one-liners, memes, jokes etc.

A Twitter user named Rahul Sharma posted on Twitter in a mocking tone, “Scored the crucial 1 run which Australia lead by in the 1st innings. Well played, KL Rahul.”

Another tweet from user named Drink Cricket posted a meme describing different ways of dismissing batters like Steve Smith, Virat Kohli and Joe Root by pointing out their weaknesses. For KL Rahul, the meme suggested that merely bowling to him would lead to his dismissal.

A user named Kuptaan also tweeted, “If India is 200/1, KL Rahul is out If India is 100/1, KL Rahul is out If India is 50/1, KL Rahul is out If India is 0/1, KL Rahul is out If India is no loss then KL Rahul is not in the playing xi.”

Another Twitter user brought up one of KL’s old tweets playing pool captioned “pretending I know how to play” and tweeted, “KL Rahul had already given us a hint. Only if we knew what he was talking about.”

A Twitter user named Rupen also expressed his frustration with KL’s poor form with a wrestling reference. He posted a video from World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)’s 2009 Royal Rumble event, which involves a battle royal requiring wrestlers to eliminate their opponents by throwing them over the top rope. He posted a video of wrestler Santino Marella, who was eliminated by Kane in just one second, which is a record for the shortest time in the Royal Rumble match.

Another Twitter user named Sachya posted a hilarious video describing “KL Rahul’s contribution in team for last 2 years”

Notably, The opener did not have a very good 2022. After missing nearly half a year worth of action, KL blew hot and cold ever since Asia Cup 2022. He did score some half-centuries but drew criticism from fans and some cricketers for his lack of attacking intent and his inability to fire during the most important matches for his team.

KL played four Tests last year in which he scored 137 runs at an average of 17.12, with one fifty. He had the best score of 50 in Tests.

In 10 ODIs last year, he scored 251 runs at an average of 27.88, with two half-centuries and the best score of 73.

In 16 T20Is in 2022, he scored 434 runs at an average of 28.93 and six half-centuries, with a best score of 62.

Overall in 30 matches last year, KL scored 822 runs at an average of 25.68, with nine half-centuries.

This year, KL has scored only 38 runs in his three Test innings. Overall, KL has scored 148 runs in five international matches across six innings at an average of 29.60 with one half-century and the best score of 64*.

Coming to the match, India won the second Test against Australia by six wickets and took a series lead of 2-0. (ANI)

Virat Equals Sachin’s Record, Smashes 20th ODI Ton

By LokMarg 10th January 2023

Star Indian batter Virat Kohli slammed his 45th ODI century and overall his 73rd in international cricket on Tuesday.

The batter accomplished the landmark during India’s first ODI against Sri Lanka at Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati.
Virat’s 45th ODI ton is his 20th ODI ton on home soil. He has equaled the world record of legendary Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar slamming the most tons in his home country. Both batters have 20 hundred each in home conditions. Virat took only 99 to accomplish this while Sachin did so in 160 innings.

Other than these two, Hashim Amla of South Africa (14 tons in SA in 69 innings) and Ricky Ponting (14 tons in Australia in 151 innings) also are on the list for most ODI tons in home conditions.

In the second ball of the 47th over bowled by pacer Kasun Rajitha, Kohli took a single to bring up yet another hundred, his back-to-back hundred in ODIs. He scored a ton against Bangladesh last month during the third ODI.

Kohli’s latest century came off 80 balls and comprised 10 boundaries and a six. His knock came at a strike rate of 125.00.

Virat was dismissed by Rajitha for 113, which came from 87 balls.

Virat also surpassed Sachin’s record of most ODI hundreds against Sri Lanka by an Indian batter. He has nine centuries against Sri Lanka, as compared to eight by Sachin against the island nation. Virat also has nine ODI tons against West Indies and eight against Australia.

Among the active players, Virat continues being the ‘Century King’, with a total of 73 tons. Other players that follow him are David Warner (Australia) – 45 Joe Root (England) – 44 Steve Smith (Australia) 42 Rohit Sharma 41 (India).

Virat was the highest scorer in the Indian innings with the team batting after Sri Lanka opted to ball first after winning the toss.

India finished at a mammoth 373/7 in 50 overs, with Mohammed Shami (4) and Mohammed Siraj (5) unbeaten.

Skipper Rohit Sharma started the year with a cracking 83 of 67 balls with the innings studded with nine fours and three sixes. Opener Shubman Gill (70 of 60 balls), Shreyas Iyer (28 of 24 balls), and KL Rahul (39 of 29 balls) also contributed some useful scores.

Rajitha finished with figures of 3/88 in ten overs. Madushanka, Chamika Karunaratne, skipper Dasun Shanaka, and Dhananjay de Silva took a wicket each.

The second ODI will take place on January 12 in Eden Gardens, Kolkata while the second will take place in Greenfield International Stadium at Thiruvananthapuram. (ANI)