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"He Has Always Delivered": Rahul Dravid's Tribute To Virat Kohli On 100th Test

India head coach Rahul Dravid paid a glowing tribute to Virat Kohli on the eve of the latter's 100th Test match. Kohli will reach the landmark when India take on Sri Lanka in the first of a two-match Test series at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium in Mohali starting Friday. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Thursday shared a video of Dravid's tribute to Kohli. "It's an achievement Virat Kohli can be very proud of. He has had a lot of pressure, lot of expectation around him. He has always delivered. He averages over 50 in 100 Test matches, succeeded in various conditions all over the world. And only if you do that, can you actually achieve something like a 100 Test matches," Dravid said of Kohli.

Rohit Sharma Sweats It Out In The Nets Ahead Of First Test As Captain. See Pics

A new era has dawned upon Team India with Rohit Sharma set to lead the country for the first time in Test match cricket on March 4 in Mohali against Sri Lanka. The transition of captaincy, which began from Virat Kohli deciding to opt out of leading the T20I side post the 2021 T20 World Cup, will be fully complete when Rohit goes out for the toss as the skipper on Friday. In preparation for the massive day, Rohit shared pictures on Twitter of his net session with a caption that read: "About time."

"Question Of Where He Is Going To Slot In": Sunil Gavaskar On Shreyas Iyer's Test Hopes

Sunil Gavaskar, former Indian cricket team captain, lauded batter Shreyas Iyer for his recent heroics in the T20I series against Sri Lanka at home. Gavaskar praised Iyer's "confident" approach ever since his debut Test series against New Zealand at home last year, where he scored a superb hundred. "Yes, he (Shreyas Iyer) didn't play in South Africa, also he wasn't hundred percent fit. I think he had an ulcer in the tummy, so I am told. That's why he wasn't available for selection," said Gavaskar during a discussion on Star Sports.

India Predicted XI For 1st Test vs Sri Lanka: Focus On Virat Kohli Ahead Of 100th Test

All eyes will be on Virat Kohli on the occasion of his 100th Test match when India take on Sri Lanka in the first of a two-match Test series, at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium in Mohali starting Friday. Kohli, who had been given rest in the recently-concluded T20I series, will become the 12th Indian cricketer to play 100 Test matches -- the others being Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sunil Gavaskar, Virender Sehwag, VVS Laxman, Anil Kumble, Kapil Dev, Sourav Ganguly, Dilip Vengsarkar, Ishant Sharma and Harbhajan Singh. On the other hand, Shreyas Iyer is likely to be a part of the team after his three consecutive fifties in the 3-0 T20I series clean sweep against Sri Lanka. Here is how we think India will line up against Sri Lanka in the opening Test in Mohali:

India vs Sri Lanka, 1st Test Preview: Rohit Sharma-Led Team India Ready To Dish Out Stellar Show In Virat Kohli's 100th Test

Hailed by many as the 'Last of the Mohicans' in cricket's purest format, Virat Kohli will be focussed on making his 100th appearance memorable while "white-ball legend" Rohit Sharma plots the demolition of an out-of-depth Sri Lanka as India's 35th Test captain in the series-opener starting in Mohali on Friday. If one looks back at Indian team's journey since its inception in international cricket back in 1932, it has been about stars, superstars, and megastars, who become the reason for the footfall at turnstiles of various stadiums across the country. It was the case when Sunil Gavaskar scored his 10,000th run, Sachin Tendulkar bade the most emotional farewell that cricket has ever seen and now the spotlight will be firmly on Kohli, whose domineering presence has turned an international match into a footnote.

India vs Sri Lanka, 1st Test: When And Where To Watch Live Telecast, Live Streaming

India and Sri Lanka will battle it out in a two-match Test series starting March 4 in Mohali. The first Test will mark the beginning of newly appointed full-time skipper Rohit Sharma's journey as the leader of the Test side. Virat Kohli, on the other hand, will represent India in the cricketing whites for the 100th time. The home side has a few records to extend as it enters the Test series. One that must be highlighted is India's dominance over the island nation in Tests at home. So far, India have played against Sri Lanka 20 times at home, with the former emerging victorious on 11 occasions while the remaining nine ended in draws.

ICC World Test Championship Table Update: Defending Champions New Zealand Drop To 6th After Loss vs South Africa In 2nd Test

The 198-run loss in the second Test against South Africa at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch proved to be a bitter pill to swallow for World Test Championship title holders New Zealand. The defeat, which meant that the two-match series was drawn 1-1, pulled New Zealand down to sixth in the standings having won only two of the six games played by them in this WTC cycle. The win for South Africa was their third in five games as they were placed above last time's WTC finalists India, who occupy the fifth spot currently.

India vs Sri Lanka: Shubman Gill readies for first Test on home ground

Sri Lanka at Mohali, there's another cricketer who will be hungry to take the ground on Friday. Local boy Shubman Gill, one of the architects of the historic win against Australia at the Gabba, is most likely to play his first Test in front of his home crowd. Gill's memorable 91 runs in the chase of the famous Brisbane Test, helped India breach the 'Gabba' fortress and retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2021. That innings was like a trailer of a blockbuster career in the making. A product of India's robust domestic set-up, Shubman gave glimpses of his batting prowess by tackling the fiery trio of Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc with ease. The Punjab youngster's knock also sent out a message that the next generation of Indian cricket is ready to take forward the legacy of the stalwarts of the past decades.

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"He Has Always Delivered": Rahul Dravid's Tribute To Virat Kohli On 100th Test

Rohit Sharma Sweats It Out In The Nets Ahead Of First Test As Captain. See Pics

"Question Of Where He Is Going To Slot In": Sunil Gavaskar On Shreyas Iyer's Test Hopes

India Predicted XI For 1st Test vs Sri Lanka: Focus On Virat Kohli Ahead Of 100th Test

India vs Sri Lanka, 1st Test Preview: Rohit Sharma-Led Team India Ready To Dish Out Stellar Show In Virat Kohli's 100th Test

India vs Sri Lanka, 1st Test: When And Where To Watch Live Telecast, Live Streaming

ICC World Test Championship Table Update: Defending Champions New Zealand Drop To 6th After Loss vs South Africa In 2nd Test

India vs Sri Lanka: Shubman Gill readies for first Test on home ground