NEW DELHI: Virat Kohli did what Virat Kohli does best. He batted through, soaked in pressure and finished with a smile you could spot from the top tier of the stadium. India might have lost Rohit Sharma after a fluent half-century, but Kohli stayed put and brought up his 52nd ODI hundred in the first match of the series against South Africa in former skipper MS Dhoni’s hometown, Ranchi, on Sunday.
The moment arrived in the 38th over. All-rounder Marco Jansen pushed one back of a length outside off, Kohli opened the bat face and guided it neatly past third man. The ball disappeared to the rope, Kohli took off, jumped and punched the air. It was a pure, instinctive celebration. The crowd responded instantly, stood up as one, and the noise rolled around the ground like a wave.It didn’t look rushed, or forced. Kohli built this innings brick by brick, starting quietly after walking in early, moving into cruise control, and then shifting up gears when needed.Kohli’s ton is officially the 7000th international century in men’s cricket. The Rohit-Kohli partnership, 136 off 109 balls, was the base India needed. Rohit looked sharp too, striking three sixes in his 57 off 51 before an LBW review call that never came.India had a bit of a wobble later. Ruturaj Gaikwad fell cheaply, Washington Sundar too. The run rate slowed, the fielding ring tightened, and for a few overs South Africa sniffed a way back. But Kohli didn’t panic. He just kept tapping, nudging, running hard, and putting away anything even slightly off line.KL Rahul at the other end played the quiet role, rotating strike and letting Kohli take charge. With overs in hand and batting still to come, India look well positioned for a 300-plus finish.No drama, no rush, no fuss, just another Kohli ODI hundred. Another day where the scoreboard, the crowd and the moment belonged to him.
