Virat Kohli becomes first player to amass 13000 ODI runs at No. 3 as remarkable batting legacy grows even richer

Kohli entered the match with 12,988 runs at number three and needed 12 to reach the record. He reached it on the 13th delivery of his innings. Kyle Jamieson bowled a good-length delivery outside the off stump; the right-hander shuffled across and tucked it towards deep backward square leg for a single.

This was after he had to walk out to the crease early following the dismissal of Rohit Sharma for a duck. India were 1/1 after the first over of a 186-run chase. The bowling effort for the visitors was led by Arshdeep Singh, who picked up four wickets but conceded 70 runs. However, Anshul Kamboj provided greater efficiency, picking up two for just 22 runs in his 10 overs.

The fact that Kohli has played 79 fewer innings than Ponting at number three and has scored over 300 more runs than him reaffirms the impeccable consistency of the Indian batter.

When compared to other number three batters in the game's history, Kohli's brilliance shines even brighter. Ricky Ponting and Virat Kohli are the only batters to have scored 10,000 ODI runs at number three, with Kohli becoming the first batter to reach 13,000 at the position.

Kumar Sangakkara is the third name on the list with 9,747 runs in 238 innings. Kohli has played only 13 more innings than the Sri Lankan great and has scored over 3,200 more runs. The complexities of cross-era comparisons will always remain, but Kohli has certainly established himself as one of the greatest ever to bat at number three in ODIs.

Virat Kohli had 55 ODI hundreds to his name before the first ODI between India and New Zealand. Of those 55, 48 have come at number three, amounting to 87% of his ODI hundreds. He recently completed 15,000 ODI runs against the West Indies in September. So, the records keep tumbling for one of the most prolific ODI batters, and the fans will hope that the caravan continues for as long as possible