Virat Kohli and Ishant Sharma
Ahead of the pink-ball Test against England, India skipper Virat Kohli recalled an incident with Ishant Sharma when the two used to be roommates in Ranji cricket.
Ishant will be playing his 100th Test for India when the hosts will take on England in the third Test at the newly-constructed Motera Stadium from Wednesday. Kohli narrated that Ishant was asleep when the news of him getting selected in the national team was announced.
“Ishant started playing state cricket with me. When he got selected for India, he was sleeping & I had to kick him to give him the news. That's how far we go. We have great trust between us. I've been very happy to see him enjoy his bowling over the years," said Kohli in a virtual press conference on Tuesday.
The Indian skipper also heaped praise on Ishant's longevity and pointed out how the pacer prioritised Tests instead of white-ball cricket.
"It's rare to see a pacer have such longevity these days. Ishant could've easily prioritised white-ball cricket but full credit to him that he didn't. I'm so happy that he is playing his 100th Test and hope he plays for India for many more years,” Kohli said.
With a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final on the line, India and England will lock horns in the vital pink-ball Test. To qualify for the WTC final, India need to defeat England by either 2-1 or 3-1 in the series.
