Kohli poised to eclipse Tendulkar

India's batting maestro Virat Kohli is just six runs away from pipping the legendary Sachin Tendulkar when it comes to innings taken to reach 6,000 Test runs.

After his second century of the series put India in command of the third Test against England at Trent Bridge, Kohli was out for 103, leaving him with a career aggregate of 5,994 Test runs at 54.49 from 118 innings.

If the 29-year-old scores six runs in his next innings, likely to be in the fourth Test in Southampton, he will have reached the mark in precisely one innings fewer than Tendulkar, the man with whom he has so often been compared.

The overall mark belongs to Sir Donald Bradman, who reached 6,000 Test runs in a preposterous 68 innings, while the Indian record is owned by Sunil Gavaskar (117 innings). Earlier this year, then Australia captain Steve Smith levelled Sir Garfield Sobers in second place on the list (111 innings).

Tendulkar was averaging a tick over 56 when he passed the milestone as a 26-year-old, against South Africa in March 2000. The Little Master remains the only played to have scored 6,000 Test runs prior to turning 27.

But Kohli is busy making history of his own, having emphatically put to bed suggestions he struggles in English conditions with 200 runs in each of the first and third Tests, including centuries in both.

The right-hander now has 440 runs for the series, with two Tests still to play, and looks a strong chance to surpass Rahul Dravid's tally of 602 runs for the most by an Indian in England.

"You would be hard-pressed to argue against him being seen as the best player in the world at the moment," said England assistant coach Paul Farbrace.

"He's a high-quality player, and has shown he's learnt a lot on this tour alone."

Another hundred in either of the next two Tests would also put Kohli level with Dravid for three in a series in England – the most by an Indian and a feat Dravid managed twice (2002 and 2011). 

Beyond that, the air is particularly rare; only Englishmen Herb Sutcliffe (1929) and Denis Compton (1947), as well as the incomparable Bradman (1930) have scored four hundreds in a Test series in England.

Fastest to 6,000 Test runs

Sir Donald Bradman (Aus) - 68 innings
Sir Garfield Sobers (WI) - 111 innings
Steve Smith (Aus) - 111 innings
Wally Hammond (Eng) - 114 innings
Sir Len Hutton (Eng) - 116 innings
Ken Barrington (Eng) - 116 innings
Kumar Sangakkara (SL) - 116 innings
Sunil Gavaskar (Ind) - 117 innings
Viv Richards (WI) - 120 innings
Sachin Tendulkar (Ind) - 120 innings
Mohammad Yousuf (Pak) - 120 innings