Three fans breached security at Bangalore’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Sunday to take a selfie with Indian cricket superstar Virat Kohli — and one returned successful.
Kohli was at first slip in the final session of the second day of the pink ball Test against Sri Lanka when three young men ran onto the field and attempted to embrace the former captain.
A group of security officers gave chase and eventually overpowered the youngsters before hauling them off the field as the crowd roared and clapped.
Kohli was taken aback by the sudden intrusion but obliged the fans’ request, although he still signalled to them not to come too close due to the bubble protocols.
The crowd has welcomed Kohli with huge applause each time the star batsman has appeared on the ground that is home to his IPL team Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Meanwhile, half-centuries from Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant combined with inspired bowling helped India eye a big win in the second Test.
The tourists were 1/28 at stumps, chasing a daunting 447 for victory in Bangalore. Kusal Mendis on 16 and skipper Dimuth Karunaratne on 10 were batting at close of play.
Fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah trapped Lahiru Thirimanne LBW for a duck to take his wickets tally to six in the match.
India declared their second innings on 9/303 in the final session after Iyer made 67 and Pant smashed a 28-ball 50 — a Test record for an Indian batsman.
Iyer, who hit 92 in India’s first innings total of 252, raised his third Test fifty in his fourth match with a cracking boundary.
He put on key partnerships, including a 45-run stand with Pant and 63 with Ravindra Jadeja, who made 22, before falling LBW to Lasith Embuldeniya.
Mohammed Shami hit an unbeaten 16 before skipper Rohit Sharma called him back to the pavilion after the fall of Axar Patel.
Three fans entered in the ground and they wanted to take a selfie with Virat Kohli.❤️😍 pic.twitter.com/DCxWDlznvf
— Shani Malik (@ShaniMalik_18) March 13, 2022
India lost Rohit for 46 and Kohli for 13 but Pant extended India’s domination in his knock, which was studded with seven fours and two sixes.
Sharma, who used his sweep and reverse sweep to good effect against the spinners, missed out on his fifty after being caught at long on while attempting a big blow off Dhananjaya de Silva.
He walked back as a huge roar erupted from a crowd welcoming Kohli, but the right-hander — who has not scored an international century since India’s first ever day-night Test in November 2019, and made 23 in the first innings — did not last long as he fell LBW to Praveen Jayawickrama.
The star batter’s Test average has fallen below 50 for the first time since 2017 and he has gone without a century for 73 international innings.
In the morning, Sri Lanka, who were already struggling after resuming at 6/86, were dismissed for 109 inside half an hour during the first session to concede a lead of 143.
Bumrah added two more poles to his first day’s tally of three wickets to bag his eighth five-wicket haul in 29 Tests and first on home soil.
India lead the two-match series 1-0.
