"A big day and a special test match" - Virat Kohli "can't wait" for his 100th Test
Virat Kohli "can't wait" to get started with his 100th Test, which will be played against Sri Lanka at Mohali's PCA IS Bindra Stadium, beginning on Friday.
The 33-year-old right-hander will become the 12th Indian and the 70th overall to reach the milestone. He posted a few photos - one hitting a lofted stroke on the on-side, one with a dive for a catch, one having a relaxed chat with the coaching staff, and one while raising his bat with a smile - from his training session on Thursday.
In the caption, he called it a "big day" and a "special Test," also mentioning that he's "very grateful" for his journey so far. Kohli wrote:
"Very grateful for the journey so far. A big day and a special test match. Can't wait to get this started. 🇮🇳"
Very grateful for the journey so far. A big day and a special test match. Can't wait to get this started. 🇮🇳 https://t.co/NPAJNSbl2U
A legend of the game already, Kohli has scored 7962 runs from 99 Tests so far at a brilliant average of 50.39. Although he's amid a century lull on the international front, the former captain has played some critical knocks in the lead-up to the series. It remains to be seen if he can tick the final box to become the first Indian player to score a ton in his 100th Test.
"An absolutely brilliant journey for him" - Rohit Sharma on Virat Kohli's 100th Test
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About time…🔴 🏏 https://t.co/4cmFkwbpAg
Speaking in a pre-series press conference, skipper Rohit Sharma also called it an "absolutely brilliant" journey for Kohli.
Rohit hailed his predecessor for changing the course of the team and hoped to see that continue. He also said the team is preparing to make the occasion "special" for him. Rohit remarked:
"It's been an absolutely brilliant journey for him. A long one. Since the time he made his debut and to now go and play his 100th game it's been a long journey and it's been a wonderful one. He's done exceedingly well in this particular format, changed so many things in the way the team is moving forward and all that. It's been brilliant to watch that. Yep, it's one hell of ride for him and it'll continue to be in years to come. Yeah, we definitely want to make it special for him. We are all prepared for that. So let's hope we have a good five days of cricket."
The match, the first of two Tests in the series, will kick off at 9:30 am IST tomorrow.