IND vs SL: Bumrah terms Kohli's 100th Test as 'testimony of his hard work'

As India prepares to take on Sri Lanka in the opening Test at the Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali from Friday, the occasion will be far more extensive. It will be the 100th Test of former Indian skipper Virat Kohli. Ahead of the same, pacer Jasprit Bumrah has some words of wisdom for the Delhite.

While Bumrah felt that it is always special for any player to play 100 Tests, for Kohli, it is the 'testimony to his hard work and dedication'. He acclaimed his contributions to Team India to date and backed him for more in the coming days. He strongly feels that it is just another feather in his cap, with a lot more incoming, besides congratulating him on the feat.

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"If the Indian team wins, then there is no best present than that. But, as a cricketer, he [Kohli] would like to give his best. Whichever match we play, whether it is his 100th Test, yes obviously, a big achievement, and it is a testimony to his hard work, but India's main focus is on the series," Bumrah said during a press conference.

On being asked if the Test being played behind closed doors spoils the fun on such great occasion, Bumrah cited, "See, right now we are in the frame of mind, where we are focussing on what we can control. The crowds come, it is good for the energy, but that is something that we cannot control, we don't have any power regarding that, we don't decide the rules."

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Bumrah affirmed that the team would control its energy and get its basics right. He also proclaimed that the team is in the best mental state, and even without any crowd, it knows how to keep the energy up. He concluded that the team would leave no stones unturned to make Kohli's 100th game a grand success.