Regarded by many as the ‘Last of the Mohicans’ in the purest format of cricket, Virat Kohli will focus on making his 100th appearance a memorable one, while “white-ball legend” Rohit Sharma is an out-of-depth Sri Lankan. plotting its destruction. The 35th captain in the first Test of the series starting here on Friday.
If one looks back on the journey of the Indian team since its inception in international cricket in 1932, it has been about stars, superstars and megastars who cause footfalls on the turnstiles of various stadiums across the country.
This was the case when Sunil Gavaskar scored his 10,000th run, Sachin Tendulkar bid the most emotional farewell that cricket has ever seen and now firmly in the limelight will be Kohli, whose drab presence has turned an international match into a footnote.
Kohli is “them” and in a fast-paced world, perhaps the last cricket star who will enjoy an organic following of frantic fans.
India as a “cricketer-loving” nation was, is and will be and the social media battle-cry that probably allowed fans into the stadium from Friday is a testament to Kohli’s immense popularity.
What: India vs Sri Lanka, 1scheduled tribe Test
When: March 4, Friday
Where: Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali
start time: 09:30 am
India Team News
This is his ‘Test’ and for Kohli, to mark a ‘century’ is something he must have been yearning for, missing out on the sense of accomplishment that comes with the three-figure mark by more than two years. Went. He is a product of modern times, who loves the spotlight and the spotlight has always loved him back.
However, every story has its sub-lessons and this Test match is as much a story of Kohli as it is about Rohit and his remarkable rise to prominence that sheds light on the set ideas and templates.
They say, ‘A good captain is a good captain, a good captain is a good captain.’ Everyone knows Rohat’s credentials in white-ball cricket, especially the IPL, where he has even challenged the hegemony of the unmatched Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
How does he handle a transition phase in Indian cricket, starting with the careers of Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane and Ishant Sharma. How he is perceived will have a huge impact – just a captain or leader of men.
Rohit’s tactical skills have always earned him respect from all sides and the first reflection of this in Test cricket will be how he handles his playing XI.
It is expected that the slot vacated by Pujara will be replaced by Shubman Gill at number three and he will have to show the “intent” that was missing earlier. Gill has the game to do so.
The tricky position would be the other middle-order slot that Rahane held his own for the longest time.
There are two candidates and both are eligible. Indian cricket’s new firefighter Hanuma Vihari has always been sent to bat in tough overseas conditions and his performance hasn’t been bad at all. And this makes him a deserving candidate for proper performance in Test matches.
The other is Shreyas Iyer, a very attractive batsman but with some technical glitches, including problems against the short ball. He started well in Test matches against New Zealand with a century on debut.
Sri Lanka Team News
The Sri Lankan batting line-up relies on skipper Dimuth Karunaratne as well as old guards Dinesh Chandimal and Angelo Mathews, both well ahead of their prime.
A bowling attack that has the likes of Suranga Lakmal, Lahiru Kumara or Lasith Embuldeniya perfect for a spectacular ‘five course’, Kohli treats with cover drives, drives, flicks and pulls on the menu.
Squad:
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Mayank Agarwal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), Hanuma Vihari, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammad Siraj, Jayant Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Kona India (wk) , Umesh Yadav, Saurabh Kumar, Priyank Panchal
Sri Lanka: Dimuth Karunaratne (Captain), Dhanajaya de Silva, Charit Aslanka, Dushmantha Chammira, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Niroshan Dickwella, Lasith Embuldeniya, Vishwa Fernando, Suranga Lakmal, Lahiru Thirimanne, Lahiru Kumaraya, Kusalam Mendis (WK), , Praveen Jayavikrama, Chamika Karunaratne.
match the stars 9:30 am.
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