Muristek
Bengaluru, March 11
Chasing the elusive international hundred for 28 months now, Virat Kohli would hope for a turnaround at his 'spiritual home' when India take on an underprepared and injury-hit Sri Lanka in the second Test, with the action unfolding under floodlights here tomorrow.
Interestingly, the last time Kohli reached a three-figure mark, it was a pink-ball game in which India thrashed Bangladesh by an innings and 46 runs in Kolkata, back in November 2019. He had scored 136 then.
The former India skipper has taken strike in 28 innings since then but a Test hundred has remained elusive. The 33-year-old has got a 50-plus score only six times ndash; the highest being a knock of 79 against South Africa in Cape Town in January this year.
Now he is returning to the M Chinnaswamy stadium, a venue which he knows like the back of his hand as he has led his IPL side Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) here for a decade. That comforting familiarity with the conditions could help him big time.
The time is now
Expectations are always high from the star Indian cricketer, who is perhaps enduring the most challenging phase of his career and not just in pure cricketing terms.
Kohli's run-in with the establishment and the subsequent removal from the leadership role in the ODIs may have added pressure but he can breathe easy since he faces a depleted Sri Lanka bowling attack.
Injury crisis
The tourists are in the grip of an injury crisis. Pathum Nissanka, who scored an unbeaten 61 in the first innings at Mohali, has been ruled out with a back injury. Fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera, who missed the first match with an injury, is also unavailable, while fellow paceman Lahiru Kumara was hamstrung on the opening day at Mohali. — Agencies
Last home Test in 2022
It will be the last Test match on home soil for India in 2022. There are seven more Tests in the current WTC cycle after this. They will travel to Bangladesh for a two-match series and then Australia will arrive for a four-Test rubber in 2023. The one Test of the last year's England tour is still to be played away. India need to win all these matches if they are to qualify for the WTC final.