New Delhi, India

Virat Kohli, on Friday (March 04), became the 12th Indian to enter the 100-Test club when Rohit Sharma & Co. locked horns with Sri Lanka in the two-match series opener, in Mohali. Coming out to bat at No. 4, Kohli made his 100th Test more special by becoming the sixth Indian to enter the 8,000-run club in the purest format of the game (32nd overall).

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The 33-year-old former captain Kohli joined the likes of Sachin Tendulkar (15921), Rahul Dravid (13265), Sunil Gavaskar (10122), VVS Laxman (8781) and Virender Sehwag (8503) in the elite list. Moreover, he is also the fifth-fastest to the milestone among Indian batsmen.

Fastest Indian players to 8000 Test runs - by innings:

154 - Sachin Tendulkar

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158 - Rahul Dravid

160 - Virender Sehwag

166 - Sunil Gavaskar

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169 - Virat Kohli*

ALSO READ | Virat Kohli's 100th Test: Rahul Dravid felicitates ex-captain ahead of series opener vs Sri Lanka - WATCH

Kohli came out to bat when India were 80-2, after opting to bat first, and stitched a handy 90-run partnership for the third wicket with Hanuma Vihari (58). Eventually, the right-hander fell for 45 and once again failed to end his century-drought at the highest level (since late 2019). 

Before the start of the Test series opener, head coach Rahul Dravid felicitated Kohli ahead of his 100th Test appearance in Mohali. In a video shared by BCCI, Dravid told, "When you started out as a kid you must have wanted to play one Test for India, you stand here on the cusp of your 100th. It’s a testament to everything that is great in our sport... sweat, discipline, courage, skill, determination, desire, focus, you had it all. You had a great journey. You can be very proud of not only playing the 100th Test match but also for the great journey that you have navigated through."

ALSO READ | Gavaskar lauds Virat Kohli for entering 100-Test club, compares him with Pakistan's iconic player - WATCH

“Congratulations to you and your family on this fantastic achievement. It is well deserved, it is well earned… hopefully it is just the start of many more bigger things to come and as we say in the dressing room, ‘double it up’," he added.