Virat Kohli helping out Joe Root on Day 1 of first Test. (Screengrab) Virat Kohli and Joe Root came together in a heart-warming fashion towards the end of the first day of the first Test between India and England at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Friday.
Opting to bat first, England started their innings nice and slow until they lost two wickets in quick succession. Dominic Sibley (87) and skipper Root (128*) stitched a vital 200-run partnership in the later sessions of the day to put the visitors on 263/3 at stumps.
During the third session of the day, Root suffered a cramp after slog-sweeping Ravichandran Ashwin for a maximum. Kohli, who made his comeback from a six-week paternity leave at Chepauk, rightfully channelled his sportsmanship and helped out the opponent skipper.
While waiting for the visiting team’s physio, Kohli helped Root out by stretching his leg after the conclusion of the 87th over.
#SpiritOfCricket at its very best 😊😊#INDvENG @Paytm | @imVkohli pic.twitter.com/vaEdH29VXo
— BCCI (@BCCI) February 5, 2021
Root, playing his 100th Test, led from the front for England, hitting 14 fours and a single six during his 197-ball unbeaten knock.
Ishant Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah and the spin trio of Ravichandran Ashwin, Shahbaz Nadeem, and Washington Sundar tried every trick possible but could not break Root’s resolve before the end of the day.
Root will resume his innings on Saturday with a new batsman after Sibley was dismissed on the final ball of the day by Bumrah.