“You’ve got to win the toss and bat big”, says Russel Arnold at the pitch report from Mohali.
Virat Kohli recently spoke to the BCCI ahead of his 100th Test appearance. “I honestly never thought I would play 100 Test matches. It has been a long journey. We played a lot of cricket over the course of playing those 100 Test matches,” he said in a video posted by the BCCI official handle. Click here to read more on it.
Kohli might have fallen on difficult times, especially in Test cricket, in the last couple of years, but it’s a tribute to his longevity, perseverance, staying power and unquestioned skills that, in an era where it is becoming increasingly challenging to manage workloads and stay mentally fresh, he already has 100 Test caps when still only 33. Read R Kaushik’s article on Virat Kohli here
As India start off a new journey under Rohit in the Sri Lanka series, the microscopic focus will be on the middle order. It’s been a problem area for the Indians for a while now. In the absence of Pujara and Rahane, the onus will fall on the relatively less experienced guys to step up and stake a claim. Read Jigar Mehta’s preview of the Test series here
Hello and welcome to our LIVE coverage of the first Test between India and Sri Lanka in Mohali. This will be a special one for multiple reasons. Firstly, Virat Kohli is all set to make his 100th Test appearance, joining an elite list of Indian players to achieve the feat. And secondly, this will be Rohit Sharma’s first match as permanent Test captain, so he will be hoping for a flawless start to his leadership. Stay tuned for more updates.