The first Test between India and Sri Lanka in Mohali will be a massive occasion. Former captain Virat Kohli will be playing his 100th Test match and he will become the 13th player from India to do so. One of the greatest ambassadors of Test cricket in the modern generation, reaching the milestone of 100 appearance in all-whites would be another feather in the glorious cap of Kohli’s career.
Indian pace sensation and recently appointed Test vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah is looking forward to the occasion. He heaped praise on his former captain and suggested that the hard work and dedication with which he plays Test cricket is exemplary.
“It is always a special achievement for a player. You know it is a testimony to his hard work, dedication,” Bumrah said in a virtual press conference ahead of the first Test, as quoted by NDTV.
“(Playing) 100 Test matches for your country is a great occasion and he has contributed a lot to the success of the Indian team and will contribute a lot more in the future as well. It is another feather in his (Kohli’s) cap. I just wish him the best and congratulate him for the achievement,” he added.
Bumrah, who made his Test debut under Virat Kohli in 2018, expressed his desire to see Kohli continue in this format for several years and contribute to India’s cause. Having played 99 matches in the longest format, Kohli is only 38 runs short of 8000 and is the sixth-highest scorer for India in Tests. He has also captained the team between 2014 and January 2022.
The speedster was further enquired whether the team is planning a special gift for Kohli for his landmark achievement. Bumrah replied by mentioning that no gift can be greater than winning the match for India. Although the BCCI had earlier reported that it will be the first Test in the country to be played behind closed doors since the pandemic began, it later made the decision to allow 50 percent crowd into the stands.
Speaking about the same, Bumrah said that it would’ve been good to see the energy reverberating from a packed stadium but it not something that they can control. “See, right now we are in the frame of mind, where we are focussing on what we can control. (If) the crowds come, it is good for the energy, but that is something that we cannot control, we don’t have any power regarding that, we don’t decide the rules,” he added.
