Virat Kohli

The India star scored his landmark ton in Wednesday’s World Cup semi-final win over New Zealand, with his compatriot and previous record holder Sachin Tendulkar watching in the stands.

Kohli had equalled Tendulkar’s 49 one-day hundreds just 10 days earlier in a group stage victory against South Africa.

Here, the PA news agency examines the data behind his remarkable achievement.

King Kohli

While Tendulkar scored his 49 hundreds across 452 innings, Kohli has overhauled his countryman in 173 fewer attempts.

He has been on a stronger trajectory than his predecessor ever since reaching three figures for the first time during his 13th visit to the crease.

Tendulkar took 76 innings to score his maiden hundred, by which time Kohli had already accumulated eight tons.

The rate of Kohli’s century-making has continued to outstrip Tendulkar’s, with the ‘Little Master’ having scored 31 hundreds after 279 innings – the same number it has taken Kohli to reach 50.

The 35-year-old has scored his runs at a better average (58.69 compared with 44.83) and a faster strike rate (93.62 compared with 86.23) than his former team-mate, although his run total remains some way behind (13,784 compared with 18,426).

Renaissance man

Kohli has been a model of consistency throughout much of his ODI career, having scored at least one hundred in every year between 2009 and 2019.

However, his serene progress towards 50 tons was interrupted by a run of 25 innings without celebrating the milestone – a sequence that coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic and spanned three full years between December 2019 and December 2022.

He has since enjoyed a remarkable return to form, with six centuries in 2023 so far – his joint-most in a calendar year alongside 2017 and 2018.

Kohli has scored 711 runs to anchor India’s seemingly unstoppable bid to win the World Cup on home soil, with his tournament tally having surpassed Tendulkar’s previous record of 673, set in 2003.

Master chaser

Kohli is undoubtedly the greatest chaser in ODI history.

The 35-year-old has scored 27 hundreds in the pursuit of targets, 10 more than Tendulkar who is his closest challenger for second-innings tons.

Of the 16 players with at least 20 ODI centuries, Kohli is the only one to have scored the majority when batting second.

He averages a staggering 65.49 in run chases, compared with 51.72 in first-innings efforts.

De Villers called time on his illustrious career at the age of 37 after establishing himself as one of the best players in the world.

A mercurial batsman, brilliant fielder and fine wicketkeeper when called upon to don the gloves, De Villers made 114 Test appearances, playing in 228 ODIs and featured in 78 T20Is.

De Villiers scored an astonishing 20,014 runs at international level and made 47 centuries to go down as a Proteas great.

He was also outstanding for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League and Kohli paid a glowing tribute to his former team-mate.

The India Test and ODI captain tweeted: "To the best player of our times and the most inspirational person I've met, you can be very proud of what you've done and what you've given to RCB my brother. Our bond is beyond the game and will always be.

"This hurts my heart but I know you've made the best decision for yourself and your family like you've always done. I love you."

Former Proteas captain Faf du Plessis tweeted: "Well done @ABdeVilliers17 on a special career. I've been extremely lucky to be on the same cricket field as you.

"The game will not be the same without you. The greatest player I have played with."

Cricket South Africa posted: "Thank you for the memories, the records broken and the entertainment @ABdeVilliers17. We salute your contribution to the game and wish you everything of the best for the future."

RCB expressed their gratitude to De Villiers for the impact he made at the IPL franchise. 

"End of an era! There's nobody like you, AB. We'll miss you dearly at RCB. For all that you've done and given to the team, to the fans, and to cricket lovers in general, #ThankYouAB. Happy retirement, legend!" RCB posted.

India posted 221-4 in Mumbai, with Agarwal 120 not out at stumps after a valiant effort at the top of the order.

All the wickets went to New Zealand's left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel, who at one point reduced India from 80-0 to 80-3 when he removed Shubman Gill for 44 and added the wickets of Cheteshwar Pujara and Kohli in quick succession.

Kohli had spoken on Thursday of being determined to go the "hard yards" where necessary for India's sake, having missed the recent T20I series and the first Test in order to take a breather.

Ajaz had Gill caught by Ross Taylor at slip before bowling Pujara with a heavily turning delivery and getting an lbw verdict to dismiss Kohli, who was not reprieved by a review with no sign of an inside edge.

Partners came and went, but Agarwal - who kept his place in the team while Ajinkya Rahane missed out through injury - ploughed on, making a case to stay in the side for India's next assignments, although Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul may have something to say about that. Rohit has been rested for this series, which Rahul has missed due to injury.

Shreyas Iyer, who had a century and a fifty in the first Test, fell for 18 this time around to end an 80-run partnership for the fourth wicket, and Agarwal and Wriddhiman Saha (25no) put on 61 to guide India through to the close with no further casualties, leaving the deciding match of a two-game series finely poised.

Agarwal earns his place

A cover drive off Daryl Mitchell took Agarwal into three figures, his fourth Test century. He then spanked Ajaz for six from the penultimate ball of the evening to cap an impressive day's effort. Agarwal has converted two of his previous tons into doubles, against South Africa and Bangladesh, and will hope to do the same here, having revealed some words of advice from coach Rahul Dravid.

"He had told me, 'When you get set, make it big'," Agarwal said. "I am happy to have capitalised on the start that I had. But that message was very clear from Rahul, that I should make it count.

"This innings was more about grit and determination, just to stick with the plan and be disciplined. I know I didn't look good sometimes, but I got the job done. Getting runs in this format, the hardest format of the game, is the most satisfying feeling."

Special day for Ajaz

Four wickets anywhere is good going for a bowler, but for Ajaz this doubtless felt particularly special. He was born in Mumbai and emigrated with his family to New Zealand in 1996, going on to make his Test debut in 2018. Now 33 years old, he put India in a spin and will be chasing a third Test five-wicket haul on Saturday.

James Anderson, Jofra Archer and Dom Bess were all part of the XI that helped England become the first visiting nation to win a Test at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai since Pakistan in 1999, ending an eight-game unbeaten streak for the hosts.

However, none of the trio will be involved when the two teams face each other again at the same venue.

While Archer is ruled out with an elbow injury, Anderson has been rested and Bess left out of a 12-man squad. Stuart Broad seems certain to play, with the other seam-bowling spot between Chris Woakes and Olly Stone. Moeen Ali will be the second spinner; the all-rounder has not featured in Test cricket since August 2019.

Captain Joe Root admitted it was not an easy decision to give Anderson a break considering how well he performed in the opener, but England had to look at the bigger picture during such a busy year.

"Everyone's heart was in favour of him being available for this game but also you have to look at the bigger picture and ideally if he is available for two of the last three, that is a huge asset for us with the way he is bowling and his reputation, as well as his numbers and the way he has performed in recent games," Root told the media.

India, meanwhile, head into this match under pressure; they have only ever lost the first two games of a home Test series against England once previously, when they went on to suffer a 3-1 defeat in 1976-77.

Virat Kohli pointed to a failure by the bowling unit to keep England's scoring rate in check in the aftermath of the opening defeat, with slow-bowling duo Washington Sundar and Shahbaz Nadeem struggling to provide support for pacemen Jasprit Bumrah and Ishant Sharma, as well as frontline spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.

Axar Patel missed that match due to a knee injury but came through a fitness test on Thursday. Kuldeep Yadav could also get an opportunity on a pitch that, according to Ajinkya Rahane, will spin from the outset.

"I am sure it will turn from day one," Rahane said on the eve of the game. "We will have to wait and see how it behaves in the first session and take it from there."

In a boost for India, there will be fans present for the second of four matches in the series. The ground is allowed to be 50 per cent full, though there will be social distancing measures in place amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Captain Kohli in the spotlight

India have now lost four Tests in a row under Kohli, who departed the tour of Australia after his side had been shot out for 36 to lose the series opener in Adelaide. He returned home for the birth of his first child, with stand-in Rahane then leading the side to a 2-1 triumph.

Kohli made scores of 11 and 72 upon his return to the XI, but those numbers were not enough to stop him slipping to fifth in the International Cricket Council's Test rankings for batsmen.

Root keeps on digging in

Root underpinned England's triumph last time out with a double hundred in a mammoth first innings of 578, in the process continuing his stunning run of form following on from a hugely successful tour to Sri Lanka.

The right-handed batsman has managed 684 runs in his previous three matches, which equates to 39 per cent of his side's total runs in Test cricket in 2021. There have been useful contributions from his top-order colleagues so far overseas, but no other batsman has reached three figures in an innings during the calendar year.

Key match facts

- England have only managed to register one Test series win in India since their 2-1 tour win in 1984-85 - their successful tour in 2012 being the solitary triumph during that period (D1 L4).
- India still lead the head-to-head record with England in Tests played at M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, winning five compared to the visitors' tally of four after the series opener (D1).
- England have managed to record six overseas Test wins in succession ahead of this match – victory in this game will equal their longest ever run in the format (seven in a row between 1911 and 1914).
- Rishabh Pant has a batting strike rate of 70.6 in Test cricket, only two men (with a minimum of 600 runs scored) have higher rates for India (Virender Sehwag at 82, plus Kapil Dev at 81)
- Broad (517) is three scalps away from going into sixth place on the all-time leading Test wicket-takers list, jumping above Courtney Walsh (519); the Englishman has picked up 41 wickets at an average of 14.5 since the start of 2020.

England started day five needing another nine wickets to win a match they dominated throughout and Joe Root's side got the job done in the afternoon session at M. A. Chidambaram Stadium.

Anderson produced a sublime spell before lunch, taking two wickets in one brilliant over, and finished with figures of 3-17, while the impressive Leach took 4-76 as India were dismissed for 192.

Half-centuries from Virat Kohli (72) and Shubman Gill (50) were in vain as India never looked like getting close to reaching their unlikely target of 420 to win or being capable of batting out for a draw.

Victory for the tourists ensured Root matched Michael Vaughan’s record tally of 26 Test wins as captain, capping a dream 100th match in the longest format for the in-form batsman, whose classy double century set up a perfect start to the four-match series.

India resumed on 39-1, needing an unlikely 401 more runs for victory, and they were two down when Leach drew an edge from Cheteshwar Pujara with a delivery that turned sharply, Ben Stokes taking a sharp catch at first slip.

Anderson then came to the fore with a magnificent over, removing Gill's off stump and repeating the trick to clean up Ajinkya Rahane for a duck three balls later.

India were in deep trouble on 110-5 when Rishabh Pant fell into the trap, taken by Root at short cover as another clever piece of bowling from the wily Anderson was rewarded again.

Leach snared Washington Sundar, superbly caught behind by Jos Buttler, to leave India staring down the barrel of defeat at 144-6 at lunch, with the classy Kohli running out of partners.

Ravichandran Ashwin was peppered by short stuff from Jofra Archer, taking a blow on the helmet and glove, as he hung around defiantly before another excellent take from Buttler gave Leach a third wicket.

Kohli look untroubled as he knuckled down, rotating the strike and putting away any loose deliveries, but Stokes came into the attack to bowl the skipper.

Shahbaz Nadeem became Leach's fourth victim and Archer had Jasprit Bumrah caught behind to seal a famous sixth consecutive away win for Root's men.

A dismal day one batting display saw the hosts all out for 183 before India made 21 without loss in reply.

But a productive spell either side of lunch on Thursday, led by bowling great Anderson, brought Joe Root's men back into the reckoning.

Anderson removed Cheteshwar Pujara and old foe Virat Kohli in quick succession, although bad light and rain soon intervened and allowed India to reach the end of play on 125-4.

The tourists had withstood early England pressure and looked on course to finish the first session still unbeaten until Ollie Robinson's short ball – the final delivery before lunch – tempted Rohit Sharma to pick out Sam Curran at the boundary.

Anderson maintained England's momentum following the restart with two wickets in as many balls, including a popular golden duck for captain Kohli, who edged behind.

KL Rahul reached fifty as India sought to regroup, only to then have partner Ajinkya Rahane run out by a clinical direct hit from Jonny Bairstow.

Dom Sibley put down Rishabh Pant from a simple chance and rain fell to further frustrate a resurgent England, who returned twice – first for a single ball and then for two – before heading back to the dressing room again, with play eventually abandoned.

A TIMELY BOWLING BOOST

England were on course to reach the end of the morning session without reward and worse news would great supporters during the interval, with confirmation Jofra Archer will miss the rest of the year, including the Ashes tour of Australia.

How Root could have used the paceman's inspiration as his side started to toil again, staring down the barrel of a fifth defeat in six Tests in their worst barren run since 2018.

Robinson's much-needed breakthrough, in his second match at this level, belatedly provided cause for optimism.

MILESTONE MADE IN STYLE

Anderson's second wicket took him level with Anil Kumble on 619 in Tests, the third-most in history. Of those, 120 have come against India – his most against any team and the most by any player in the men's format – and six have come against Kohli, although this was the first in their rivalry since 2014.

The wicket brought relief then for Anderson, while it was Kohli's fifth Test golden duck, of which three have come in England against England. Indeed, Stuart Broad had Kohli caught behind first ball in his previous away innings against England back in 2018.

Anderson swung his team back into contention against the tourists with two quickfire wickets, getting Cheteshwar Pujara out caught behind before Kohli – who was out for a golden duck to Stuart Broad in his last English innings in 2018 – followed in the same manner.

India had been threatening to take the game away from Joe Root's side after putting on an unbeaten 97 for the first wicket, however, four wickets reduced Kohli's men to 125-4 at the end of a rain-affected second day.

The wicket of Kohli, who Anderson had not dismissed in 454 balls since 2014, represented the Lancashire bowler's 619th wicket in Test cricket – moving him level with India's spinning great Anil Kumble.

Asked where Kohli's day-two wicket ranked among his other 618, Anderson said: "It's obviously right up there, it's always good to get a world-class player out. You always want to challenge yourself against the best and he certainly is one of the best.

"There was definitely some emotion there in the celebration, getting him out early and knowing how important that is for the team."

While Anderson's back-to-back deliveries changed the mood in Nottingham, it was Ollie Robinson who got things going with the removal of Rohit Sharma, caught pulling on the boundary by Sam Curran.

Indeed, Robinson and Anderson, who is now joint-third for the most wickets in Test history, were the pick of England's all-seam four-man attack but the 39-year-old insisted the hosts' bowlers must stick to their own strengths.

"I try and not focus on individuals really, I think it's important that we as bowlers focus on what we do best, our strengths, and my strength," Anderson added.

"My first spell one of my strengths is swinging the ball, I was trying to swing it away and get the edge of the two openers. Then when I came back it was more trying to attack the stumps, we slightly changed the field to try and bowl that touch straighter.

"It's more focusing on us and trying to take that individual battle and the individual batsmen out of it, we bowl best when we focus on ourselves."

It was announced on Thursday, though, that Anderson will have to wait to partner up with Jofra Archer again as the fast bowler will be out injured for the rest of 2021 – crucially missing the T20 World Cup and Ashes series in Australia.

Archer, who burst onto the scene with 20 wickets in the 2019 World Cup-winning campaign before following up with 22 in his debut Ashes series, has been suffering with an elbow injury and will play no further part this year.

"It's a huge disappointment for Jofra and the team, he has been a really influential part of the team since he started playing for England," Anderson continued.

"Obviously he's a huge miss for what's coming up for the rest of the year but I also think this sort of injury is something that has been bugging him for quite a while, so I think hopefully now this will be the end of it; get it settled, get it healed and come back stronger.

"He's been great for this team and we want him back fully fit and firing so hopefully however long it takes that will happen in the next few months."

Thursday's action in the day-night contest was eventful to say the least, 17 wickets falling before Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill saw the hosts to their target of 49 runs in the final session under the floodlights. 

India had also started proceedings at the crease, losing their final seven wickets for 41 as they slipped from 99-3 to 145 all out, Joe Root's maiden five-wicket haul seemingly putting the game back in the balance. 

However, the metronomic Axar struck early and often as India seized control through their spinners. The left-armer dismissed both Zak Crawley and Johnny Bairstow for ducks in his first over of the innings as he picked up 5-32, giving him stunning match figures of 11-70.  

Not to be outdone, Ashwin worked his magic once more to end with 4-48. In the process he surpassed 400 Test wickets, a feat only achieved by three other bowlers for India. 

The efforts of the duo – fellow spinner Washington Sundar also claimed the final wicket of the innings – saw England skittled for 81 in 30.4 overs, their lowest total against India in the format. 

Root – who had done so much to give his team hope in the opening session with 5-8 – battled hard to make 19 and, briefly, his partnership with Ben Stokes (25) suggested India may have more work to do in the final innings on a difficult surface. 

Yet Ashwin crucially ended Stokes' counter-attacking knock and, having also bowled Ollie Pope (12), he reached his personal landmark when Jofra Archer was out lbw for a two-ball duck. In truth, England's tail had little hope of increasing their lead to give their own spinners any hope.

Rohit and Gill rushed the home team over the finishing line, the openers ending unbeaten on 25 and 15 respectively as India moved 2-1 ahead in the series with one Test to play.

Ashwin latest to join 400 club 

Ashwin is just the 16th bowler to claim 400 Test wickets, doing so in his 77th appearance. His compatriots Kapil Dev, Anil Kumble – who sits in top spot on India's all-time list on 619 – and Harbhajan Singh have previously made it to the milestone.

Only Sri Lankan Muttiah Muralitharan made to that number in fewer games than Ashwin, who now has 24 wickets in the series at an average of 15.70.

Tourists left in a spin

Thanks to a double century from skipper Root, England scored 578 in their first innings in the series. It was a mammoth total that set them up to secure an impressive victory in Chennai. 

Since then, though, the visitors have amassed 669 runs in five innings combined, their best score in that period being 164. Facing a trial by spin, they have been condemned to a pair of heavy defeats that ends their hope of competing in the World Test Championship final on home soil.

India had resumed on 233-6 but their tail did not last too long in the opening session, the final four wickets going down for 11 runs as they were all out for 244. 

However, the tourists hit back impressively with the ball, dismissing Australia for 191 despite a battling knock of 73 not out from home captain Tim Paine.

Needing to bat a short period under the floodlights prior to stumps, opener Prithvi Shaw fell to Pat Cummins for four as the tourists ended on 9-1, Mayank Agarwal not out on five with nightwatchman Jasprit Bumrah yet to get off the mark.

With a lead of 62 runs, India holds the upper hand. Still, their advantage should be even greater in the series opener, having seen a number of opportunities go begging in the field. 

Virat Kohli's side lost two wickets in as many overs to start proceedings on Friday, Ravichandran Ashwin (15) and Wriddhiman Saha (9) departing early to Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc respectively. 

The same bowlers claimed a further wicket apiece to wrap up the innings, Starc ending with figures of 4-53 as he equalled Richie Benaud's career tally of 248 for Australia. Cummins, meanwhile, finished with 3-48. 

Australia's reply saw new opening pair Joe Burns and Matthew Wade fall cheaply – both to Bumrah – while Steve Smith managed just a single from 29 balls before he was dismissed by Ashwin. 

Travis Head and debutant Cameron Green also fell to the spinner to leave the score at 79-5, though India's failure to dismiss Marnus Labuschagne on no less than four occasions allowed the right-hander to make a welcome 47. 

Yet it was Paine who caused the most problems for the visiting attack, the wicketkeeper-batsman also dropped as he made the third-highest score of his Test career, hitting 10 boundaries in a 99-ball knock that saw him run out of support in the end. 

Starc's run out for 15 did not help the cause - he was short when attempting a risky second - before Nathan Lyon became the fourth wicket for the impressive Ashwin (4-55). 

Umesh Yadav (3-40) had Josh Hazlewood caught to wrap up the innings and, while Shaw failed to survive a difficult short session before stumps, India will be pleased with their overall position.

Just 48 hours after completing the third and final one-dayer, the two nations must quickly switch their focus to the shortest format. 

Manuka Oval in Canberra stages the opening T20 on Friday before the teams complete the series in Sydney, which hosted the first two ODI fixtures – both won by the home team.

However, Australia lost the finale when without the services of Warner, who is dealing with a groin injury that leaves him battling to be fit for the upcoming Tests against the same opponents.

Captain Aaron Finch admits it is never easy to be without a player of Warner's abilities, albeit the opening batsman's absence offers an opportunity for others with next year's T20 World Cup looming large on the horizon.

"It would be great to have him available, no doubt. But these things happen. Injuries happen. He's an all-time great in one-day cricket, in T20 cricket," Finch said after the third ODI. 

"I don't think there's many better players to have played the game, so any team that he is not a part of is going to be slightly weaker, I think. But we have got guys who can step up and really contribute heavily in that role as well." 

India will be hosting next year's global tournament after the 2020 edition, due to take place on Australian soil, was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

Virat Kohli leads the tourists but will not be present for the entire Test series that follows; India's skipper is to return home after the opening game to be present at the birth of his first child. 

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS 

It is not just Warner missing for Australia; pace bowler and vice-captain Pat Cummins is also set to be absent, while Mitchell Marsh is ruled out. 

Marcus Stoinis, meanwhile, is nursing a side strain and Mitchell Starc was not risked in the third and final one-dayer due to a back issue. 

Andrew Tye had already replaced Kane Richardson in the squad while Cameron Green – fresh from making his international debut on Wednesday – could be given further chances for the home side, who will be wearing Indigenous shirts for all three games.

Glenn Maxwell is available too – and is in excellent form with the bat. He posted scores of 45 or more in each of his three knocks in the 50-over games.

RAHUL RIGHT IN FORM

India have a decision to make at the top of the order with Rohit Sharma not available. 

KL Rahul could be used there after an outstanding Indian Premier League season with King's XI Punjab, as he finished the 2020 tournament as the competition's leading run-scorer.

The right-hander has also amassed more runs in T20 international cricket since 2019 than any other batsman from a Test-playing nation, managing 452 at a stunning average of 75.3.

Ravindra Jadeja, meanwhile, is in contention to make his 50th T20 appearance for India, a milestone only seven other players have achieved for the country.

KEY OPTA FACTS

- Australia can record three multi-game bilateral T20 series victories on the bounce at home for the first time, having defeated Sri Lanka and Pakistan on home soil in 2019.
- India have registered five victories in their past six T20 outings in Australia (L1); all eight fixtures between these sides in the country have been won after losing the toss.
- Australia have only been involved in one previous men's T20 fixture at Manuka Oval, beating Pakistan by a margin of seven wickets with nine balls remaining in November 2019.
- Kohli has scored more runs in men's T20 games between these sides than anyone else (584); that is the most ever registered against a single opponent in the history of the format.

Already without the injured David Warner, Australia were seemingly set to hand an international debut to Will Pucovski until the 22-year-old was ruled out due to concussion. 

Pucovski was struck by a bouncer while playing for Australia A in the first of two warm-up fixtures against India, forcing the hosts to think again over their options at the top of the order.

Captain Tim Paine confirmed on the eve of the game that a decision has been made on the final XI, though he would not reveal it. Joe Burns – who managed just five runs in the tour games when playing for Australia's second string – is expected to keep his place.

Matthew Wade could be promoted to fill the other opening spot. In the middle order, Australia are hopeful Steve Smith will be fit to play. Hampered by a bad back in the build-up, the former skipper did practise on Wednesday.

Coach Justin Langer backed Wade to produce as an opener prior to the series, calling him Australia's "Mr Fix It" as he told the media: "He can definitely do it. We've just got to work out what the best makeup of our team is going to be."

Cameron Green is set to play in his first Test having been a doubt himself due to concussion. The 21-year-old – who has scored 363 runs at an average of 72.6 in the Sheffield Shield this season – is "pretty good to go", according to Paine.

India - holders of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy who will aim to seize on any vulnerability in the home side - have announced their line-up.

Mayank Agarwal, who scored 177 runs in his two Test appearances in the triumphant 2018-19 series on Australian soil, will open along with Prithvi Shaw, meaning no place for Shubman Gill. 

Virat Kohli is captain, of course, but this will be his only Test outing on the tour. The talismanic batsman is to return home after the pink-ball game to be present at the birth of his first child, with Ajinkya Rahane set to take over in charge of the team for the remainder of the trip.

Kohli will hope to depart on a winning note, and for that to happen India's pace bowlers will be key. Umesh Yadav, Mohammad Shami and Jasprit Bumrah are the trio selected, while Wriddhiman Saha is the wicketkeeper ahead of Rishabh Pant.

DAY-NIGHT CLASSIC IN STORE?

Australia and India will be playing against each other in a day-night Test for the first time. They are the only two sides with a 100 per cent winning record in such fixtures, albeit the visitors have played in just one - and that was on home soil - compared to seven for Australia.

India's second game with Australia A was played under floodlights in Sydney, with Rahane noticing a difference to how the pink ball behaves during the switch from natural to artificial light.

"Batting in twilight, those 40-50 minutes is the key. If you bat well in that period, it becomes really good," India's vice-captain said, according to ESPNCricinfo.

KOHLI AIMS TO LEAVE LASTING IMPRESSION

Kohli has scored six hundreds in 12 Tests on Australian soil, four of which came in a sensational tour in 2014-15 that saw him finish with an outstanding average of 86.5.

However, India's captain will only get one game to make an impact on this series. His departure will leave a huge hole in the batting line-up, though that does also offer an opportunity for someone else to step in and fill the void.

They will at least still have Cheteshwar Pujara, the star performer in Australia two years ago when averaging 74.42 to be named player of the series, helping India record a famous 2-1 triumph.

KEY OPTA FACTS

- India secured their first Test series triumph away in Australia when they last visited (2-1 result in 2018-19) ending a drought of 11 series (D3, L8) without success.
- Australia have won 10 of their last 12 series at home (L2). As well as India, the other team to prevail there were South Africa, by a 2-1 scoreline in 2016.
- Nathan Lyon (50) needs six more wickets to equal Shane Warne (56) for the most in Tests at the Adelaide Oval. His best match figures at the ground came against India (12-286).
- Marnus Labuschagne has a Test batting average of 85.4 on Australian soil. Only two players (with a minimum of 10 innings) have managed better: Donald Bradman (98.2) and Adam Voges (86.3).

Australia headed into Wednesday's third and final match with the series level at 1-1, looking to end India's best ever seven-series winning streak at home.

Brave captaincy from Smith was required to do that, with Australia batting first on a dry and soft surface and scoring 269.

No touring batsman was able to build on a strong start, but the same was then true of the India line-up – Virat Kohli leading the way on 54 but out cheaply – as their target proved just beyond them.

The two innings followed similar patterns, with Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh combining for 68 before the former was caught for 33 three balls after being dropped.

Marsh went on to score 47, but Smith was unable to contribute as he departed for a duck, while each of the next five batters passed 20 but did not reach 40.

It left Australia with a competitive score but one India would have been confident of matching after their own opening stand of 65.

Even after a pair of wickets, the home side rallied to 146-2 with Kohli in fine form.

But Adam Zampa (4-45) and Ashton Agar (2-41) worked through the middle order, meaning Kohli's surprise departure to the latter – picking out David Warner at long-off – represented a blow that ultimately cost India.

Australia bookend India's winning run

Australia's win in the second ODI had snapped India's nine-match winning run in home ODIs, and another sequence was ended on Wednesday.

This was India's first defeat in a multi-game ODI series at home since Australia beat them 3-2 back in March 2019.

Kohli's needless departure

After sharing a 69-run partnership with KL Rahul that set India back on track after two wickets, Kohli looked set to play a part in another strong stand for the fifth wicket.

But after combining for 34 with Hardik Pandya – who scored 28 of those runs off 20 balls – the great batsman gave Warner a simple, vital catch.

Joe Burns and Australia chased down the 90-run target with ease on Saturday after India were humiliated for their lowest ever Test score of 36 following a jaw-dropping collapse in the day-night showdown on Saturday.

Virat Kohli's India resumed on 9-1 on day three of the Adelaide Test, but the visitors sensationally capitulated as Australia's merciless pace attack produced a relentless showing with the pink ball.

Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins were the chief destroyers – the star pair finished 5-8 and 4-21 respectively.

Hazlewood – whose figures represented the most economical five-for by an Australia player in 73 years – celebrated his 200th Test wicket, while Cummins brought up his 150th dismissal to become the equal-third quickest Australian to reach the figure in terms of innings bowled (59).

India remarkably crumbled in just 15.2 overs to record their lowest Test score after Mohammed Shami retired hurt (one), the tourists' total lower than the country's previous record of 42 against England in 1974.

None of India's batsmen reached double figures – Mayank Agarwal the top scorer with nine, while captain Kohli was sent packing by Cummins for just four in a jaw-dropping display. It was the first time ever not a single player in the top six of a Test side reached double digits.

It was also the joint fifth-lowest Test score – behind New Zealand's all-time record of 26 set in 1955, while it is the joint-lowest team total in the format on Australian soil after South Africa's performance against Australia in 1932.

Australia made light work of the score put forward by India, only dropping two wickets to clinch the first of four Test matches against India.

Joe Burns – under pressure heading into the opener due to his poor form – stepped up with an unbeaten half-century from 63 deliveries to lead the Australians to victory after hitting a six to bring up his fifty and the team's win.

Matthew Wade was run out by Wriddhiman Saha for 33, while Marnus Labuschagne (six) was caught by Agarwal after skying a Ravichandran Ashwin (1-16) delivery, but it mattered little.

The batsman made a half-century in the opening game at Lord’s in May 2018, but his involvement in the series was painfully cut short when struck on the left arm by a Ben Stokes short ball.  

Forced to retire hurt with 68 to his name, Babar did not appear again during the tour. A fracture ended his contribution as the tourists triumphed at the home of cricket, while he had to watch on as his side were crushed in the second Test at Headingley. 

At that stage of his career, Babar was viewed as a limited-overs specialist still making his way in the Test arena. With an average under 25 prior to playing England, he was – at the age of 23 – a player with obvious potential working out how to play the game of patience.

Just over two years on, he returns to England having enhanced his reputation to such an extent that the so-called 'Fab Four' - Virat Kohli, Joe Root, Steve Smith and Kane Williamson - have company. It is unclear who identifies as the cricketing versions of Paul, John, Ringo and George, but Babar is not like the fifth Beatle – his identity is clear.

Start a discussion with cricket fans over who should be considered the lead act in the group and you are opening a cricketing can of worms. It is a topic that, understandably, stirs up national pride, but also heated discussions about the weight of importance given to each format. 

What is not up for debate, however, is that Babar deserves to be in the conversation. His white-ball numbers are outstanding – he averages over 50 in Twenty20 and one-dayers for Pakistan – yet his Test statistics in recent times provide additional evidence for those keen to argue his case.  

Indeed, his average of 75.9 across his 12 Test knocks since the start of 2019 is the best rate of any batsman to have 10 or more innings during that period. Better than Kohli, despite the India captain piling on the runs at home against South Africa, including a career-best 254 not out. Better even than Smith, whose Ashes heroics last year were so crucial in helping Australia retain the urn on English soil.  

He also sits above the same pairing when it comes to contributing for his team, providing an astonishing 22 per cent of Pakistan’s total Test runs over the period. There is clearly substance to the style now, a determined streak to go with the eye-catching technique.  

Ricky Ponting, the former Australia captain, tipped Babar to become one of the best in the world at the start of the year; he was a little late to get on board a bandwagon that now offers standing room only. 

"I think he is right up there already," Azhar Ali, Pakistan's Test skipper, said on the eve of the series opener with England at Old Trafford. 

"His performances have improved massively in Test matches over the last year or so. Firstly, he was performing really well in white-ball cricket and people thought he was only a white-ball player, but he took on that challenge and played with a lot of freedom and flair.” 

Babar's career totals do not stand up to the sheer volume scored by Kohli, Root, Smith and Williamson - at least not yet. Still, since 2018, he sits above the quartet in terms of Test average (65.5) and strike-rate (63.2 runs per 100 deliveries).

That stretch includes a memorable maiden hundred on home soil. While rain ruined the spectacle of the first Test played in Pakistan for over a decade, Babar brightened up the final day against Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi with an unbeaten 102 that delighted the crowd who had patiently waited to see their team return.  

Scores of 60 not out, 100 and 143 followed in the remainder of a truncated series, all from a player who did not reach three figures until his 17th Test. 

Prior to that breakthrough innings against New Zealand in November 2018, Babar had managed an unspectacular 822 runs at 30.4. Since then, though, there have been four more three-figure scores in 10 games, plus a 97 in a losing cause against Australia in Adelaide when no colleagues were willing to stick around in support. 

Pakistan are likely to lean on him heavily again in England, particularly as they come up against a team brimming with fast-bowling options and fresh off a 2-1 series victory over West Indies. 

Babar's development - including a highly productive Cricket World Cup campaign last year on English soil, as well as finishing top run-scorer in the T20 Blast while playing for Somerset - suggests he will relish the challenge.

The head-to-head battle with Root will be one of the main storylines, too. England's captain has much on his plate in the coming weeks, including fathoming out a way to nullify the brilliant Babar, who has stylishly climbed his way into the top tier of international batsmen.

Broad has been ruled out of the remainder of the five-match series after suffering a torn calf in training on Tuesday, while Anderson is expected to miss out with a quad injury.

Saqib Mahmood was called up to the squad on Wednesday and could make his debut in the absence of England's vastly experienced seam duo, with Moeen Ali poised to return in the longest format.

Bairstow cited the ODI series against Pakistan, which England won despite having to name a totally new squad at the eleventh hour following a coronavirus outbreak, as an example that other players can step in and take their chance.

“It would be a big loss [if both Anderson and Broad miss out], naturally, because they've got over a thousand Test wickets between them," said Bairstow.

"I don’t think it's too much of a destabiliser to be honest. I think with the nature of professional sport there is going to be injuries at times, there is going to be illness, it can happen overnight and you've got to be adaptable within the group.

"It's potentially a loss but with that comes an opportunity for other people. When we've seen that previously in the summer, in the Pakistan series, there were opportunities that arose for other people coming in and they rose to those challenges."

India also suffered an injury blow, with seamer Shardul Thakur missing due to a hamstring problem.

Ravichandran Ashwin could come into the team as a second spinner, while Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav are pushing for recalls.

The first Test ended in a draw after the final day was washed out at Trent Bridge, with the tourists chasing 209 to win. Both sides were docked two points in the ICC World Test Championship points for slow-over rates in Nottingham.

ROOT BACK ABOVE KOHLI BUT IN NEED OF SUPPORT

Joe Root's exploits in the opening Test moved him above India captain Virat Kohli into fourth in the ICC Test Batting Rankings.

Root came to the rescue with a masterful 109 in the second innings after the England skipper top scored with 64 in his side's 183 all out in the first innings.

England's top three of Rory Burns, Dom Sibley and Zak Crawley are under pressure, with Haseeb Hameed waiting for his chance to step in.

KOHLI: MOEEN A DANGER MAN

All-rounder Moeen is poised to switch from The Hundred to the Test arena after he was called up this week.

Moeen claimed match figures of 8-226 when he returned to the Test stage against India in Chennai six months ago and Kohli is well aware of his quality.

Kohli said: "We are wary of his skills. He's obviously a very talented cricketer, brings consistency with the ball and as a middle-order or lower-order batsman. Especially in Test cricket, he can change the momentum of the game with the bat. 

"He's in great form right now, he's batting really well and with the ball he is always someone that the team has banked on, so we will have to be at our best going up against Moeen."

KEY OPTA FACTS

- England have lost just two of their 18 Tests against India at Lord's, winning 12 and drawing two. The last India win at the famous venue came in 2014. 
- England have failed to register a win in their past six Test matches (D2, L4), their longest winless run since 2017-2018, when they failed to register a win in eight matches (D2 L6).
- Root (8,887) is 14 away from becoming the second-highest run-scorer for England in Test history (Graham Gooch – 8,900). Root is the only player to score over 1,000 runs since the beginning of 2021 in the longest format.
- Ravichandran Ashwin (413) is five away from becoming the third-highest Test wicket-taker for India, with Harbhajan Singh on 417.

The feeble effort was the lowest score posted by any team in the IPL this season, and the writing was on the wall early for a side who entered the match sitting third in the table.

South African quick Marco Jansen took three wickets in the second over of the Bangalore innings on his way to figures of 3-25, removing Faf du Plessis (5), Anuj Rawat (0) and Virat Kohli (0) to earn man-of-the-match honours. The out-of-form Kohli has made just 13 runs across his last four IPL innings.

Indian medium-pacer T Natarajan weighed in with 3-10, as only two batsmen reached double figures for Bangalore, with Glenn Maxwell making 12 and Suyash Prabhudessai top-scoring with 15.

The innings was all done in 16.1 overs, and Sunrisers charged to their target at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai, with Abhishek Sharma rattling along to 47 from 28 balls, playing the dominant role as captain Kane Williamson watched admiringly from the other end.

Sharma fell when he looked to hit a match-winning six, caught inside the ropes by Rawat off Harshal Patel, but new batsman Rahul Tripathi blasted a maximum to make sure as Sunrisers reached 72-1 in just eight overs. Sunrisers climb above Bangalore thanks to this victory, jumping to second with five wins from their seven games.

Duck despair strikes again for Kohli

Kohli has been dismissed from the first ball he has faced in each of his last two IPL innings. He went this way against Lucknow Super Giants on April 19, and this is the first instance of him recording a golden duck in consecutive games in the competition.

Bangalore mark anniversary in grim style

Saturday marked five years exactly since Bangalore were dismissed for their lowest score in IPL history, when they were demolished for just 49 when chasing 132 for victory against Kolkata Knight Riders. Kohli made a first-ball duck that day, too.

Bavuma has not played for his country since suffering an elbow injury during a T20I series in India three months ago which ended 2-2.

The batter has since spoken of feeling "let down" after he was not selected for the inaugural SA20 auction this month.

Questions have been asked over Bavuma's credentials in the shortest format less than a month before the T20 World Cup in Australia begins.

The Proteas skipper is ignoring such "distractions" ahead of the opening T20I against the top-ranked side in the world at Greenfield Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday.

He said: "I've tried to put all those things behind me. My biggest focus is on the role that I have, which is to lead and serve the team as best as I can, make sure that the guys are in the best place possible going into that big World Cup tournament.

"All other distractions, all other sideshows, that's stuff that I'll deal with on a personal level, but now, here, being within the team, as long as I'm still wearing that shirt, it will be to lead and serve the team as best as I can."

Bavuma added: "This is our last series before the World Cup. Obviously we will be looking for this series to fill whatever gaps we feel there are in the team. We have guys who have been playing a lot of cricket and I guess we will be managing their intensity.

"We also have guys who need some cricket under their belts. It will be to give those guys some game time because this is our last preparation in different conditions compared to Australia but still match time nevertheless.

"The last time we were here, we were tested in all departments of our game and I think we answered well."

South Africa have beaten England and Ireland since drawing with India, who come into this series on the back of a 2-1 triumph over Australia.

The two sides will also meet in Group 2 at the World Cup in Perth on October 30.

Kohli to reach another landmark

Virat Kohli finally ended his long wait for an international hundred against Afghanistan in the Asia Cup this month.

The former skipper is set to bring up another century, as his next T20I innings will be his 100th. Kohli will be only the 10th player to be at the crease 100 times in the shortest format on the international stage.

Kohli has scored 3,660 runs from 99 innings, 684 more than the next best aggregate for any batter in their first 100 innings in men's T20Is (Martin Guptill – 2,976 runs).

Proteas enjoying life on the road

South Africa have won each of their past four completed T20I games away from home.

The Proteas have been victorious six times on tour in 2022. Only in 2021, when they won 14 times away from home, have they bettered that tally in a calendar year.

Yorkshire spinner Bess claimed 4-55 from 23 overs on the third day of the entertaining test at M. A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

The 23-year-old snared home skipper Kohli for 11 and vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane for one, before putting an end to Rishabh Pant and Cheteshwar Pujara's stand.

It was the wicket of Kohli, who flicked a bat-pad catch to Ollie Pope, that gave Bess the most satisfaction in his finest outing for England in a career spanning 13 Tests.

"It is certainly up there," he said. "The calibre of the player, who he is, is phenomenal. He is a world-class player so it was special, but more for what my process was. 

"What I'm learning, what I'm doing that is getting me to that. You are always looking to get batsmen out but it's not about bowling that magic ball. 

"It's about smashing in 10, 15 balls in a good area and then something will happen. That's what I was really pleased about. I thought I held my line and length really well.

"It's not about who you are getting out, it's the consistency of balls. I thought I bowled pretty well and I think I am bowling really well at the moment. 

"It was important to make sure I had real confidence in my mentality and process. I'm 23, I'm only going to keep growing. My journey is going to be up and down."

Responding to England's 578 all out, India initially toiled before a sparkling knock from Pant – ending with 91 run from 88 balls – helped them to 257-6.

Pant stepped in with India 73-4 but, targeting the spin of Jack Leach, he hit nine fours and five sixes before Bess took over and dismissed both Pant and Pujara.

However, Bess believes Pant's high scoring was more down to the his attacking batting display, rather than Leach's bowling, as he backed the left-armer to quickly respond.

"I thought he bowled really well and that's not just me saying that. If you look at the way he bowled to Pant and [Washington] Sundar I reckon there are balls hitting the exact same box," he said.

"Pant is just a completely different player who played a phenomenal innings. Really courageous, really bold. How Leachy came back and kept smashing out a length shows the qualities he has.

"People will look at the fact he was going for 10 runs an over at one point but it doesn't matter. It's going to bring you massive opportunities if [Pant] gets it wrong.

"Leachy is so strong mentally. He has been through a hell of a lot, and that isn't going to faze him at all."

The left-arm swing bowler clubbed 38 from 24 balls to help the Black Caps post 348 following valuable contributions from Colin de Grandhomme (43) and Kyle Jamieson (44) at Basin Reserve on Sunday.

India, who managed a paltry 165 in the first innings, trailed by 183 runs when Ishant Sharma (5-68) ended Boult's cameo and their headaches grew before the close of play.

Boult removed Prithvi Shaw (14), Cheteshwar Pujara (11) and Virat Kohli (19), while Tim Southee strangled Mayank Agarwal down the leg side for 58 as the tourists battled to 144-4, still 39 runs behind.

India had looked set for a brighter day in Wellington after Jasprit Bumrah extracted an edge from BJ Watling with the first ball of the opening over, after New Zealand had resumed on 216-5.

Southee lasted 14 deliveries before falling to Ishant, which brought debutant Jamieson to the crease.

The towering quick, who claimed four wickets in India's innings, proved there is more than one string to his bow as he hammered four sixes in an entertaining 45-ball knock.

Jamieson and the more measured De Grandhomme combined for 71 runs before departing within five overs of each other, Ravichandran Ashwin (3-99) striking on both occasions.

Number 11 Boult blasted the Black Caps further ahead and then made inroads into India's top order, his short ball drawing Shaw into an edge behind in the eighth over of India's second dig.

Pujara crawled to 11 runs until his concentration failed on the final ball of the second session - his 81st at the crease - with the batsman made to pay for shouldering arms to a full Boult delivery that seamed in and plucked out the off stump.

Kohli's advice prompted opener Agarwal to waste a review on a thin edge off Southee before the India captain gave wicketkeeper Watling his second catch and Boult his third wicket.

Dropping the anchor allowed Ajinkya Rahane (25) and Hanuma Vihari (15) to reach the close unbeaten but New Zealand appear well-placed to take a 1-0 series lead with two days remaining.

West Indies T20 specialist and former captain of the One-Day International team, Dwayne Bravo had some interesting choices to make during an interview on Cricbuzz, leaving out some big names on a list of five of the best T20 players in the game today.