Virat Kohli’s 100th Test: Featuring in 100 Tests for one’s country is a massive achievement; it proves that the player has been consistent in his respective field – batting and bowling – while also maintaining high fitness standards.
This is further highlighted by the fact that since the inception of the game, in 1877, only 70 cricketers have managed to play in 100 Tests, 11 of which are Indians. Sachin Tendulkar, who made his debut in 1989 and played his last Test match in 2013, is capped the most times – 200.
The next best on the list is far behind James Anderson with 169 caps – that is a tribute to Anderson’s longevity and consistency with the ball that he featured in these many Tests being a pacer. Ricky Ponting and Steve Waugh follow with 168 Tests each.
Virat Kohli’s 100th Test will be a massive milestone.
All eyes will be on Virat Kohli when he steps on the field in the upcoming Mohali Test against Sri Lanka, on March 4th, as that will be his 100th Test career match. Kohli would have played his 100th Test in South Africa earlier this year but missed the Johannesburg game due to injury. He will play his 101st Test in Bangalore, his IPL franchise home.
Indian cricket made its Test debut in 1932 against England at Lord’s that they lost by 158 runs. They would play only three more Tests in the next three years, losing two and drawing one of them.
In fact, India would go winless for two decades in Test cricket, with their first Test match win coming in 1952 – agaisnt England in Chennai. They won two more games that year before going on another winless streak – this time for 3 years untill 1955. Tests wins came by few and far between for India for a while then, before the team starting winning, both home and away.
India have so far competed in 560 Tests so far, winning 166 and losing 173; 220 of India’s Tests are draws while one Test ended in a tie.
Before Virat Kohli’s 100th Test, let’s have a look look at the list of the 11 cricketers who have played 100 (or more) Test matches for India:
| PLAYERS | MATCHES | RUNS | WICKETS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sachin Tendulkar | 200 | 15921 | 46 |
| Rahul Dravid | 163 | 13265 | 1 |
| VVS Laxman | 134 | 8781 | 2 |
| Anil Kumble | 132 | 2506 | 619 |
| Kapil Dev | 131 | 5248 | 434 |
| Sunil Gavaskar | 125 | 10122 | 1 |
| Dilip Vengsarkar | 116 | 6868 | 0 |
| Sourav Ganguly | 113 | 7212 | 32 |
| Ishant Sharma | 104 | 785 | 311 |
| Harbhajan Singh | 103 | 2224 | 417 |
| Virender Sehwag | 103 | 8503 | 40 |
Ishant Sharma was the latest entrant to the 100-Test club when he took the field last year against England in Ahmedabad, and now fans are desperately waiting for Virat Kohli’s 100th Test.
Virat Kohli’s 100th Test will be played in Bengaluru but unfortunately there will not be any crowd due to covid protocols.
Virat Kohli sits at 99 Tests in which he has scored 7962 runs at an average of 50.39, while Mohammad Azharuddin retired with 99 Test caps to his name. He couldn’t add to it after he was dropped in the backdrop of the match-fixing fiasco.
Another current player, Cheteshwar Pujara, who has recently been dropped from the Sri Lanka series, is nearing 100 Tests. Pujara has played 95 Tests match so far in which he averages 43. Ravichandran Ashwin, who has 84 Tests under his belt, is likely to reach the 100 Tests landmark by the end of his career.
You can follow all the coverage of Virat Kohli’s 100th Test on thecricketlounge.com.
