Former India captain and current BCCI president Sourav Ganguly lauded Virat Kohli who will be playing his 100th Test match when India clashes with Sri Lanka in the first match of the two-Test series in Mohali from March 4.
Though earlier the Test was supposed to be played behind closed doors, the BCCI relented and has allowed the crowd in the stadium as per government directives to witness Virat Kohli’s milestone match.
The former India captain will become the 12th Indian to play 100 Test matches and Ganguly, who himself played 113 Tests, welcomed Kohli into the 100-Test club and as per Hindustan Times, he promised to be there in person in Mohali “to watch Virat’s 100th Test match”.
IND v SL 2022: BCCI allows 50 per cent crowd for Virat Kohli's 100th Test in Mohali
“To begin with, you need to be a very good player to get there. Very few people in Indian cricket have played 100 Test matches. It’s a fantastic landmark. Virat is a great player and deserves every bit of it,” Ganguly told Hindustan Times.
Though Virat Kohli made his India debut in ODIs in 2008, he had to wait until 2011 to make his Test debut, which came against West Indies. In 99 Tests thus far, has 7962 runs at an average of 50.39. He has made 27 centuries and 28 half-centuries with the highest score being 254*. He also has 100 catches in Tests and has hit 24 sixes and 896 fours in the format.
“I haven’t played with him. But I have always followed his game. Having been involved in different capacities, I have always tracked his cricket. I have seen his career from when it started and how it took a different turn after a few years and it has now gone to greatness. His technique, his positivity, his footwork, his balance…I like all of that.
Above all, the way Virat changed his game after 2014 in England when he was struggling. I saw that Test series because I was working as a commentator there. And he had a remarkable five years after that. That’s what normally happens. I saw that with Rahul Dravid between 2002 to 2005. You see great players having these phases where they are at their peak. Sachin had many,” Ganguly said.
The former India captain also believed that its just a matter of time before Virat Kohli will be back scoring tons of runs. He also talked about the fact that this will be Kohli’s first Test after seven years just as a player.
Ganguly said: “It does require some adjustments. But I don’t think it’s very difficult,” said Ganguly. “He will come back and get hundreds. I know about all this talk, with him not getting a hundred for over two years. But he is too good a player to consistently go through this. He will get past this phase too. He knows how to get hundreds otherwise he would not have got 70 of them. As a former player, I know he will start scoring them again. He has enormous ability, so it’s a matter of time."
(Hindustan Times inputs)
