''Disappointing there is going to be no crowd, but decision taken in greater interest"- Sunil Gavaskar on Virat Kohli's 100th Test sans crowd

Former Indian opener Sunil Gavaskar has said that having no crowd for the first Test in Mohali, which is set to be Virat Kohli's 100th, is disappointing. The first Test of the two-match series between India and Sri Lanka will be played behind closed doors because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Speaking to Sports Today, Gavaskar said that it's disappointing that fans won't be present to celebrate the landmark Test of one of India's greatest-ever players. Nevertheless, he added that the decision of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is for the greater good, citing a recent surge in COVID-19 cases in Punjab.

Gavaskar said in this regard:

"Any game that you play, you want the crowd to be there. India has played without any crowds in recent times. Any performer, be it an actor, be it a cricketer, wants to play in front of the crowd."

"The 100th Test is very very special. Disappointing that there is going to be no crowd, but I think the decision has been taken in the greater interest. The cases have increased in and around Mohali, where the match is going to be played."

PCA treasurer RP Singla confirmed on Sunday that the Mohali Test won't have spectators in the stadium. He explained that the decision was taken to do so based on a directive issued by the Indian cricket board.

Virat Kohli set to become 71st player, 12th Indian, to play 100 Tests

The BCCI's decision to stage the Mohali Test behind closed doors hasn't gone down well with fans. That's considering the fact that crowds were allowed in limited capacity during the recent T20I series against West Indies and Sri Lanka in Kolkata and Dharamsala, respectively.

Notably, the second Test of the series in Bengaluru, which is set to be a day-night affair, will have crowds, but at 50% capacity.

Meanwhile, the wait for Virat Kohli's 100th Test has been a long one. The former captain missed the first Test of the home series against New Zealand in December. That meant that the third Test of the series in South Africa would have been his 100th. However, a last-minute injury on the morning of the second Test in Johannesburg put paid to those plans.

Nevertheless, Kohli, who made his Test debut against the West Indies in 2011, is now set to become the 71st player to play 100 Tests. He will join Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Sourav Ganguly, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Virender Sehwag and Ishant Sharma as the only Indian players to play 100 Tests.