INDIA’s cricketing hero Virat Kohli fell for 45 in his 100th Test as Sri Lankan bowlers rattled the hosts’ top-order in the opening match on Friday (4).
India reached 199 for four at tea after new captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and elected to bat at the start of the two-match series in Mohali. Rishabh Pant, on 12, and Shreyas Iyer, on 14, were at the crease.
Kohli surpassed 8,000 Test runs during his innings before left-arm spinner Lasith Embuldeniya bowled the former captain who stood in disbelief and then walked back to applause from spectators for the landmark match.
Kohli, who last scored an international century in November 2019, put on 90 runs for the third wicket with Hanuma Vihari who made 58.
He hit five boundaries in his 76-ball stay at the crease with every run cheered.
Vihari scored his fifth Test half-century but departed soon after Kohli’s dismissal as he dragged an incoming delivery from left-arm quick Vishwa Fernando onto his stumps.
Earlier Rohit, who last month replaced Kohli as captain across all formats, hit Lahiru Kumara for two successive boundaries including a well-executed pull but soon got caught at long leg in another attempt to smash the short ball.
Embuldeniya, one of the two slower bowlers for Sri Lanka — hoping for the first-ever Test victory in India in their 300th five-day game — trapped Mayank Agarwal lbw for 33.
Before the match, Kohli, alongside Bollywood actress wife Anushka Sharma, was presented with a special cap by coach Rahul Dravid as top officials of India’s cricket board including president Sourav Ganguly clapped from the balcony.
(AFP)
