Watch: Virat Kohli shows sportsmanship after Joe Root falls on the floor in cramp
It’s not the rivalry that keeps the cricket going for ages. It’s about the spirit of cricket. For some cricketers, helping even the opposition players (injured) give them a great sense of accomplishment and that’s what the spirit of cricket is all about. The game of cricket has witnessed countless sportsmanship moments in the passage of play.
Just imagine if a game is not played in the right spirit. Fans would start losing interest in the sport. However, some cricketers are keeping the sport alive and vibrant. During the first Test match between India and England at Chepauk Stadium in Chennai, England captain Joe Root won the toss and elected to bat first.
The English side-mounted pressure on the Indian bowlers early on in the innings. Rory Burns and Dominic Sibley added a 63-run stand for the opening wicket before veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin dismissed Burns for 33. Daniel Lawrence who came out to bat at No.3 totally lost his concentration as he was dismissed leg before wicket off Jasprit Bumrah’s bowling.
However, England captain and Dominic Sibley took the batting to the next level by adding runs to the scorecard. Joe Root became the first batsman to score a century in the 98th, 99th and 100th Test respectively. On the other hand, Sibley missed out on a well-deserved century by 13 runs as Bumrah took his wicket right in the fag end of the overs. England finished Day 1 with 263/3.
Virat Kohli wins hearts
When England were batting on 261/2, captain Root immediately fell on the ground in pain. Meanwhile, Indian captain Virat Kohli came up to him to check on him if he is alright. It was when Root pointed out that he got his leg a tad cramped. Probably for the first time, the fab 4 batsmen helped another fab 4 batsmen as Kohli helped Root by stretching his leg.
Watch the video:
Joe Root is batting on 128 where he hit as many as 14 fours and a six to his name. His partner Sibley who batted really well scored 87 with the help of 12 fours. England are in complete control of the game. They are certain to add runs to the scoreboard on Day 2 and insert pressure on the Indians. On the other hand, Indians still have a mountain to climb to stop the English threat.
