"Double it up," Rahul Dravid tells Virat Kohli as he felicitates India batter for landmark 100th Test

Mohali, March 4: Star India cricketer Virat Kohli on Friday (March 4) joined an elite club as he became the 12th player to represent the country in the 100th Test at the PCA Stadium in Mohali. Team India face Sri Lanka in the opening Test of the two-match series.

Before Kohli, eleven other cricketers went on playing more than a hundred Test matches and all of them made a mark in the game with their performances.

Before the start of play in Mohali, Kohli was felicitated by India head coach Rahul Dravid - who himself is a Test great for India. Dravid - who has played 163 Tests, second-most for India, in his illustrious career - congratulated Kohli on the occasion and hailed the right-handed batsman from Delhi for his sheer dedication and work ethic.

"It's well deserved, well earned, and hopefully it is just the start of many things to come. As we say in the dressing room, double it up," said Dravid while handing over the 100th Test cap to Kohli. Kohli's wife Anushka Sharma was alongside him on the special occasion.

"It is a special moment for me. My wife is here and so is my brother. Everyone is very proud. It is indeed a team game and it couldn't have been possible without you. Thanks to the BCCI as well. In present-day cricket, with the amount we play with three formats and an IPL, the one takeaway the next generation can take from me is that I played 100 games in the purest format," said Kohli after getting felicitated in front of his fellow teammates.

"I couldn't have received it from a better person, my childhood hero. I still have that picture with you from my Under-15 days," Kohli told Dravid.

Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma won the toss in his first assignment as Test captain and elected to bat first after the coin landed in his favour. Indians are playing with three spinners and two pacers in the game. Shreyas Iyer and Hanuma Vihari have been included in the Indian playing as Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane's replacement.

Earlier on Thursday (March 3), in a video posted on the official Twitter handle of the BCCI, Kohli said, "I honestly never thought that I will play 100 Tests, it has been a long journey. Played a lot of cricket over the course of these 100 Tests, a lot of international cricket and I am just grateful that I have been able to play these 100 Tests.

"God has been kind, I have worked really hard on my fitness. It is a big moment for me, my family and my coach. It is a very special moment."