(UTV |INDIA) – Only 2.277% of the 3,074 players who have earned their Test caps so far the world over right from March 15 1877, when the first Test was played.
Only 2.277% of the 3,074 players who have earned their Test caps so far the world over right from March 15, 1877, when the first Test was played, have played 100 Tests or more. In other words, only 70 players in Test history have the rare distinction of playing in 100 Tests or more in the last 145 years. India’s Virat Kohli will become the 71st member of the elite club when India take on Sri Lanka in the first of two-Test series in Mohali on Friday.
While the cricketing world is waiting with bated breath for Kohli’s milestone Test, the fans are even more anxious that he marks his 100th Test with a memorable century. Not only his fans, even former India Test players including members of the Century Club, Harbhajan Singh and Dilip Vengsarkar, wished to see Kohli mark his 100th Test with a century, something that he has not done in the international arena since November 2019.
Kohli’s team-mate in eight Tests and the only Indian off-spinner to have played in 100 or more Tests, Harbhajan Singh told: “For any cricketer, it is a special achievement to play 100 Test matches for the country. It is obviously something that I always wanted to be in that list. A lot of people come and go. They don’t get to play 100 Test matches. To play 100 Test matches means you have to go extra yards. For that, you have to work harder than the others. Am sure all the people who have played the game have done it. Congratulations to Virat Kohli for getting into the elite group and I hope he will continue to enjoy the game and inspire the generation.”
Former India captain and chairman of selectors, Dilip Vengsarkar (116 Tests), told: “It is a tremendous milestone. I have been watching him from his under-16 days, and then he was captain of India Under-19 when they won the World Cup (in 2008). Then, we picked him for the Emerging Players tournament. He did extremely well and worked hard on his fitness. And the rest is history. He worked hard on his game, his fitness, he showed tremendous discipline and had passion for the game. That paid dividends for him in the longer run. Playing a hundred Test matches is a big milestone. That reflects on all the hard work he has done over the years. That is a fantastic achievement and has made tremendous contributions to Indian and world cricket. He is an inspiration to millions of young cricketers in India and world also. Well done, Virat Kohli!”