IND vs SL: Virat Kohli's 100th Test to take place behind closed doors

As per the latest developments, the first Test match between India and Sri Lanka will take place behind closed doors at the Punjab Cricket Association Cricket Stadium in Mohali. The clash, which is scheduled to get underway on March 4, is set to witness Virat Kohli’s 100th appearance in the longest format of the game. Hence, fans had marked their calendars to celebrate the occasion in grand style.

However, owing to the COVID-19 concerns, spectators won’t be allowed at the venue. Notably, India are hosting Sri Lanka in three T20Is and a couple of Test matches. The T20I leg of the tour is already underway and the home team won the opening clash by 62 runs. The second and third T20I will take place on February 26 and 27 respectively.

Rohit Sharma takes over from Virat Kohli

The action will then shift to the Test matches but crowd will not be entertained in the opening game. “First test between India and Sri Lanka will be played behind closed door with no spectator allowed,” Punjab Cricket Association CEO Deepak Sharma was quoted as saying by The Print. Notably, Virat Kohli stepped down as India’s Test captain following the side’s 1-2 defeat in South Africa last month.

His partner-in-crime Rohit Sharma has taken over the reins and expectations are incredibly high from him. Meanwhile, Kohli continues to be a vital cog of India’s batting line-up as his record across formats is nothing but jaw-dropping. As far as his numbers in the purest format are concerned, Kohli has slammed 7962 runs in 99 Tests at an average of 50.39 with 27 ceturies to his name.

While these numbers are sensational from any standard, the 33-year-old has been far away from his prime in the last couple of years. In fact, his last century in international cricket was recorded way back in November 2019. Hence, his fans and well-wishers would want to see him ending the hundred drought in his 100th Test.