Even though Virat Kohli was ruled out of the series opener, the batting icon received a special mention from the fans and followers of the game on Day 1 of the 1st Test between India and England at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. Ensuring the Kohli fever hit Hyderabad in the action-packed 1st Test against England on Thursday, Team India faithful chanted ‘Kohli-Kohli’ to extend their support to the former Indian captain.
One of the finest batters in the history of the game, Kohli has opted to skip the first two Tests of the England series. Kohli pulled out of the first two Tests for personal reasons on Monday. The premier batter recently made his return to the oldest format in the South Africa series. Rallying behind Kohli during the 1st Test of the England series, Team India faithful rocked the Hyderabad stadium with ‘Kohli-Kohli’ chants to show their admiration for the celebrated cricketer. “Hyderabad misses you, King. #ViratKohli #INDvENG #INDvsENG #TeamIndia #BharatArmy #COTI,” The Bharat Army captioned its post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
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Watch: Kohli fever hits Hyderabad on Day 1 of 1st Test
Earlier, Kohli discussed his decision to skip the first two Tests with skipper Rohit Sharma and the team management. After Kohli’s brief exit, the Board of Control for Cricket (BCCI) urged the fans and media to avoid speculating about Kohli’s non-participation in the first two games. Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) teammate Rajat Patidar has replaced the former India skipper in the Test squad.
India on top in 1st Test against England
Talking about the series opener in Hyderabad, England folded for 246 in the 1st innings as Ravindra Jadeja (3), Ravichandran Ashwin (3), and Axar Patel (2) shared 8 wickets with pace ace Jasprit Bumrah (2) in 64.3 overs. England skipper Ben Stokes top-scored for the visitors with his 70-run knock off 88 balls. In reply, Rohit and Co. posted 94-1 inside the first 18 overs. Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal scored 60 off 55 balls while captain Rohit was dismissed for 24 off 27 balls in the final session of the 1st Test at Hyderabad.
