India: Virat Kohli falls for 45 in first innings of 100th Test match
Batsman Virat Kohli fell for 45 in the first innings of his 100th Test on day one of India’s series opener against Sri Lanka in Mohali on Friday.
Kohli became the 12th Indian to play 100 Test matches, after captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and opted to bat first.
Kohli faced 76 deliveries and struck five fours en route to 45. He was eventually bowled by left-arm spinner Lasith Embuldeniya.
Each of India‘s top eight batsmen reached double figures en route to a score of 357 for six in 85 overs at the close of play. This fixture is part of the World Test Championship.
Also read: Herschelle Gibbs wishes Virat Kohli good luck
Virat Kohli reaches 8000 Test runs
Friday also saw Kohli reach 8000 runs in Test cricket. He is the 32nd player – and fifth Indian – to reach this milestone in the longest format of the international game.
The other Indian players to have passed 8000 runs in Tests are retirees Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sunil Gavaskar, VVS Laxman and Virender Sehwag.
Kohli has not scored a Test century since November 2019, when he hit 136 against Bangladesh in Kolkata.
He boasts seven double-centuries in Test match cricket. His highest score in this format is 254 not out. That was struck against South Africa in Pune in October 2019.
Six of the seven double-centuries were scored in India. The one away from home was exactly 200 against the West Indies in North Sound during July 2016.
Virat Kohli won’t captain RCB in IPL
After this series against Sri Lanka, Kohli will join the Royal Challengers Bangalore ahead of the 2022 edition of the Indian Premier League.
Kohli is no longer Bangalore’s captain either. He will likely be succeeded by South African recruit Faf du Plessis.
The Royal Challengers have never won the IPL despite reaching three finals. The Mumbai Indians are the most successful IPL franchise with five titles.
The Chennai Super Kings are the reigning champions, having beaten the Kolkata Knight Riders in the 2021 IPL.
The tournament has grown to 10 teams. It previously comprised eight. The Ahmedabad Titans and Lucknow Super Giants are the new additions.
This year’s IPL is scheduled to start on 26 March. The final is due to be played on 29 May.
