'Test cricket found a magical physio in him' - Irfan Pathan lauds Virat Kohli ahead of 100th Test

One of the most successful Test captains of India, Virat Kohli is set to play his 100th against Sri Lanka on March 4. Kohli will enter the elite list of Indians, who have played 100 Tests and above. Notably, the 33-year-old won't play this game as the skipper. In January, he resigned from the job after India lost the three-match Test series against South Africa. This will be his first time since 2014 when he will play as a player in the longest format.

In the 99 Tests, the right-hander has amassed 7962 runs averaging 50.39 with 27 hundreds and 28 fifties. However, in the last couple of years, he is having a tough time with the bat. Since November 2019, he is struggling to get a hundred in all forms of the game. The former skipper has come close on various occasions but failed to reach the landmark. This game will be a perfect opportunity for him as the Lanka side is depleted.

Meanwhile, former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has said that the Delhi-born player played the role of physio for the longest format over the years. Pathan added that Kohli made people love Test cricket again.

"Test cricket was limping & that’s when it found a magical physio in Virat Kohli. He came, He conquered & He made everyone love test cricket all over again! Congratulations @virat.kohli on your remarkable achievement. 💯 #test," Pathan said.

 

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Talking about Kohli's captaincy, he became the full-time skipper after MS Dhoni's retirement in December 2014. Since then, he has led the team in 68 games where they won 40, lost 17, and drew 11 with a win percentage of 58.82, only behind former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting (62.33). Under his captaincy, India went onto win two back-to-back against Australia in their backyard in 2018-19 and 2020-21.