Virat Kohli's 100th Test at Mohali will have no spectators

Chandigarh, February 26

The first Test match of the two-match cricket series against Sri Lanka, which would be Virat Kohli’s 100th Test, would be played behind closed doors. A senior Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) official said the decision had been taken in view of Covid-19 cases in the region.

The PCA will honour Kohli for becoming only the 13th Indian cricketer to play 100 Tests, a list that’s headed by Sachin Tendulkar with 200 Tests.

“The PCA Apex Council has also decided to felicitate Virat. We will either do it at the start of the game or at the end depending on BCCI directive,” PCA treasurer RP Singla said. It’s just by a stroke of luck that Mohali will get the honour to host the 100th Test of Kohli, India’s most successful captain in Test cricket, a hero to millions.

If all had gone to plan, Kohli’s 100th Test would have been in Cape Town in January. He had landed in South Africa with 97 Tests to his name, and the third Test in Cape Town would have been his 100th. But after India won the first Test in Centurion, Kohli had to skip the second in Johannesburg due to back spasms. He was fit to play the third Test in Cape Town, his 99th. Much has changed since then – India lost the last two Tests and he resigned as the team captain.

Bengaluru was scheduled to host the first Test against Sri Lanka – Kohli’s 100th. But the venues were swapped earlier this month, because the Lankans wanted to play the second match in a city from which they could fly straight back home.

The sad part is that the Mohali Test would be played in front of empty stands due to Covid-19. —