The big story: Kohli’s eclipses Don Bradman and Rahul Dravid
Indian captain Virat Kohli became the first player in Test history to score four double hundreds in consecutive series on the second day of the only Test against Bangladesh in Hyderabad on Friday.
The feat helped Kohli eclipse Sir Don Bradman and Rahul Dravid who had registered three successive double tons in as many series. Bradman achieved his feat in the 1930-31 season while Dravid got to the landmark during 2003-’04.
Kohli’s recent run-glut started in West Indies at North Sound, where he had brought up his maiden double hundred (200). The 28-year-old, then, went on to post his then highest score of 211 against New Zealand at Indore. He would go on to better it against England in Mumbai (235) in December last year.
Kohli was dismissed on 204 in Hyderabad but India continued to make merry through Wriddhiman Saha and Ravindra Jadeja’s surge in the final session.
Other top stories
Cricket
- In the ICC Women’s World Cup qualifiers, India posted a formidable total of 250/2 after batting first against Ireland at Colombo’s P Sara Oval. Thirush Kamini was unbeaten on 113 and her opening partner Deepti Sharma was dismissed for 89. Meanwhile, Pakistan brought up a crushing 236-run win against Papua New Guinea.
- Australian skipper Steve Smith backed his team to succeed in their upcoming tour of India, and subsequently become “one of the all-time greats”, “If you do well in India, this will give you massive credit. This tour can get you to the status of one of the all-time greats,” the 27-year-old said.
- Fresh from stepping down as Pakistan One-day International captain, Azhar Ali revealed that getting back to his best as a batsman before the 2019 World Cup as the reason behind him taking a step back.
- Uncapped Australian spinner Mitchell Swepson stated that he will look to be “aggressive” against Kohli during the upcoming Border-Gavaskar series, “Especially as a leg-spinner you’ve got to look to be aggressive and take wickets. It doesn’t matter who you come up against,” the 23-year-old Swepson was quoted as saying by the Daily Telegraph.
Football
- The organisers of the 2017 Fifa Under-17 World Cup in India on Friday unveiled “Kheleo”, the leopard, as the tournament’s mascot.
- Aizawl FC defeated Churchill Brothers 3-1 in the I-League on Friday. The win helped them rise to second place in the standings.
- A new head coach of the U-17 national football team will be appointed within this month, the All India Football Federation president Praful Patel said on Friday.
- Chelsea defender Kurt Zouma hailed the impact of compatriot N’Golo Kante at Chelsea, calling his contributions “incredible” to the West London side’s title surge. The report also revealed that no player has more tackles than the former Leicester City midfielder.
- Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger stated that he isn’t affected by the criticism surrounding the club after their tame capitulation against Chelsea last week, “I am long enough in the job to know that you go from hero to zero in one minute. I am the same person as last Tuesday and I can analyse things the same way,” the Frenchman said said.