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Cricket PlayersIND vs SL: Kohli eyes joining Root, Ponting with special feat in 100th Test; can become 1st Indian to reach landmark
The former Indian captain, who will appear in his 100th Test later today, can join an elite list with a special feat.
Virat Kohli will become the 12th Indian to reach 100 Tests when he steps out on the field during the match against Sri Lanka in Mohali. The 33-year-old will join an elite list of Indian batters to have achieved the feat which includes Sunil Gavaskar, Dilip Vengsarkar, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman, and Virender Sehwag.
Kohli has been receiving congratulatory wishes from across the cricket fraternity on the feat. Former India captain VVS Laxman, however, had a special wish for Kohli -- in a video posted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Laxman said that he expects Kohli to score a century in his 100th Test.
Also read: 'Hit 100 in 1st innings, 90 odd in 2nd': Rohit Sharma picks his best Kohli knock
Interestingly, no Indian batter has slammed a hundred in their 100th Test so far. Moreover, Kohli's wait for an international century has exceeded over two years. The former Indian captain last scored a hundred in November 2019 in a Test against Bangladesh.
With a century against the Sri Lanka, Kohli will justifiably become the first Indian to reach the feat. Overall, he will become the only tenth batter to score a hundred in their hundredth Test. The most recent incidence of such feat came in 2021 when Joe Root slammed a double-century in his 100th match in the longest format against India. Root had scored 218 in Chennai.
Here is the list of players to have achieved the feat:
- M Cowdrey (England) - 104 against Australia
- J Miandad (Pakistan) - 145 against India
- G Greenidge (West Indies) - 149 against England
- A Stewart (England) - 105 against West Indies
- Inzamam-ul-Haq (Pakistan) - 184 against India
- R Ponting (Australia) - 120 and 143* against South Africa
- G Smith (South Africa) - 131 against England
- H Amla (South Africa) - 134 against Sri Lanka
- J Root (England) - 218 against India
IND vs SL: Virat Kohli looks to join Root, Amla, Ponting in elite list with special feat in 100th Test; can become 1st Indian to reach landmark
As such, Kohli will be eager to get back in the runs on this special occasion.
The 33-year-old has amassed 7,962 runs in 99 Tests at an average of 50.39 with 27 tons to his name.
Rohit Sharma will also share some spotlight with Kohli as the clash in Mohali will be his first match as an Indian Test captain. India will be keen to bounce back after their series loss of 2-1 against South Africa away earlier this year. While, in Sri Lanka's last Test series, they defeated West Indies 2-0.
The series is a part of the ICC World Test Championship where Sri Lanka are placed first while India are placed fifth in the standings.
