Kohli hits ton to guide India to 289-4 at lunch against Bangladesh
Kolkata: Skipper Virat Kohli became the country's first centurion in Day/Night Test as India reached 289 for four at lunch on day two against Bangladesh here on Saturday.
Resuming at 59, skipper Kohli looked at his sublime best as he brought up his 27th Test century to keep India on track for an early finish.
India added 115 runs in the first session, extending their lead to 183.
While Kohli pushed Taijul Islam for a double in the square leg region to bring up his hundred, his deputy Ajinkya Rahane (51) too looked in good touch, striking his fourth successive half-century.
Rahane was done in by some extra bounce as he top-edged a Taijul delivery to be holed out at point.
But Kohli, who had become the first Indian skipper to go past the 5000-run mark in the longest format, grew from strength to strength en route to his 70th International hundred.
Kohli hit top gear after his hundred, smashing Bangladeshi pacer Abu Jayed for four successive boundaries to remain unbeaten at 130 from 179 balls at the break.
With this century, Kohli equalled Ricky Ponting's record of most hundreds -- 41 -- as captain in International cricket (Tests/ODI/T20I). The India skipper took exactly half the innings (188) than the Aussie great for the world record.
Kohli had come to the crease under lights with India in a tricky 43/2 inside 13 overs on a day Indian openers had a rare failure.
But the skipper soaked the pressure under lights and batted with both caution and authority for his back-to-back Test hundred at Eden Gardens as India stepped closer to their 12th successive home series win.
Kohli's last ton here had come against Sri Lanka on November 2017.
Bangladesh's ground fielding looked appalling while their bowlers absolutely did not show any fight in a damp squib to the pre-match hype for the first pink ball Test in India.
Earlier, the reigning and former world champion duo of Magnus Carlsen and Viswanathan Anand made the opening move by ringing the customary Eden Bell before the start of the second day.
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EAM Jaishankar meets Jamaican PM, gifts over 10 BHISHM Cubes
Kingston (PTI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday met Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness and discussed ways to further deepen "political, economic and people-to-people cooperation."
Jaishankar also conveyed greetings from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Holness.
"Pleased to call on Prime Minister @AndrewHolnessJM in Kingston. Conveyed the greetings of PM @narendramodi," Jaishankar posted on X.
"Discussed deepening our political, economic and people-to-people cooperation. Value his commitment towards further strengthening India-Jamaica relations," the post further read.
Also, the external affairs minister handed over 10 BHISHM (Bharat Health Initiative for Sahyog Hita & Maitri) Cubes as a gift to Jamaica.
"Formally handed over 10 BHISHM Cubes as a gift from India to Jamaica, in the presence of PM @AndrewHolnessJM, Health Minister @christufton and FM @kaminajsmith," Jaishankar posted on X.
"The BHISHM Cube mobile hospital system, designed for rapid deployment, will help Jamaica during disasters and emergencies. The gift of these cubes is a statement of friendship, a commitment to disaster preparedness, and an outcome of innovation," the post said.
Jaishankar arrived in Kingston on Saturday evening, marking the first leg of his nine-day tour of Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago, aimed at further strengthening India's strategic and cultural ties with the Caribbean nations.
Earlier in the day, he interacted with the Indian diaspora and discussed India's ongoing transformation in infrastructure, human development and technology-driven governance and entrepreneurship with them.
He also highlighted the cricket bond between both countries as India gifted a scoreboard to Jamaica.
A scoreboard was dedicated at Sabina Park in Kingston. It is the home of the Jamaica cricket team and is the only Test cricket ground in the Caribbean island nation.
The minister expressed hope that the new scoreboard would witness many memorable innings, including those symbolising the enduring friendship between the two countries.
Cricket has long been a strong cultural bridge between India and Jamaica, which is part of the West Indies cricket team.
Jamaican players, including Chris Gayle, Courtney Walsh and Michael Holding, have played a major role in shaping the legacy of West Indies cricket in the international arena, contributing to its dominance in earlier decades and its continued global appeal.
