It's a big moment for me, for my family, for my coach: Virat Kohli ahead of his 100th Test for India

From insignificant figures of 4 and 15 against an undercooked West Indies that marked the onset of an era, Virat Kohli will be taking the field in the longest format of the game for the hundredth time. It has been a roller-coaster of a ride for the Indian batter who has had his fair shares of ups and downs.

As we are all aware of the insane numbers that Virat Kohli has racked up over the years, he will also be entering an elite list of Indian players that only 11 Indian players have managed to rack up previously. Kohli’s current Test figures boast of a staggering 7962 runs at an astonishing average of 50.39 in the longest format of the game.

In a video that was shared by BCCI, Virat Kohli said, “I honestly never thought I would play 100 Test matches. It has been a long journey. We played a lot of cricket over the course of playing those 100 Test matches.”

He further added, “A lot of international cricket. I am just grateful that I've been able to make it to 100." Kohli will join an elite list of Sunil Gavaskar, Dilip Vengsarkar, Kapil Dev, Sachin Tendulkar, Anil Kumble, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman, Virender Sehwag, Harbhajan Singh and Ishant Sharma to play 100 Tests.

The former Indian captain concluded by saying, “God has been kind. I have worked really hard for my fitness. It's a big moment for me, for my family, for my coach, who is also very happy and very proud of this Test match as long as I am concerned.”

As spectators flock to the grounds in numbers, seeking a ray of previously accustomed familiarity and hoping for Kohli to end his long-standing drought, India will be raring to secure a win against their continental rivals that would play an elemental role in propelling them higher up the World Test Championship rankings.