The spotlight will, however, continue to be on the 33-year-old Kohli in Mohali with the contest against Sri Lanka being his 100th Test match for the country.
It was a special day for Virat Kohli at the Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali on Friday as he complete the landmark of 100 Test matches.
Jonny Bairstow saved England the blushes after his half-century helped the team amass 268 for 8 after an early flurry of wickets.
Virat Kohli would hope for a turnaround when India take on an under-prepared Sri Lanka in the second Test in Bengaluru
Calling off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, the team's go-to man, ahead of the four-match Test series against South Africa, on Thursday, in Mohali.
The prices of the tickets per day has been kept at Rs 1250 (Grand Terrace), Rs 750 (E-Executive), Rs 500 (D Corporate) and Rs 100 respectively.
The two-member team described the facilities at the Punjab Cricket Association stadium as "excellent and very impressive".
The Indian players geared up for the day-night second Test against Sri Lanka as they practiced with the pink ball in Bengaluru on Wednesday.
The 38-year-old made his international debut in 2010 in an ODI against Australia in Visakhapatnam and his last India game was also a 50-over match, against Bangladesh in 2022.
Kohli has smashed 8,007 runs from 100 Tests at a remarkable average of 50.35.
KP had earlier advocated for patience with Gill, drawing parallels with the initial struggles faced by South African legend Jacques Kallis.
Australian captain Ricky Ponting confessed that his team was thoroughly outplayed by India in the second Test in Mohali.
Jonny Bairstow will be available for the entire duration of the Indian Premier League
'Look at what he has achieved in all format of the game, not just Test cricket, where he has been fabulous.'
Amid intense speculation on the nature of the PCA pitch ahead of the opening Test between India and South Africa, chief curator Daljit Singh, on Thursday, said the ageing track might be on the slower side but it will definitely be result-oriented.
Shikhar Dhawan might have had a nightmarish time with the bat in the ongoing first cricket Test against South Africa, but former India captain Sunil Gavaskar, on Friday, came in support of the opener, saying going by his record the left-hander deserves another chance.
In a career that spanned over 14 years, the calmness that Dhawan exuded on and off the field was one characteristic that set him apart from the other stalwarts of Indian cricket.
'Even in his debut series he wasn't afraid to take on the opposition.'
'Your passion for the game, your sportsmanship and your trademark smile will be missed.'
Who do you should be part of India's playing XI for the first Test against Sri Lanka?
The BCCI on Tuesday announced India's international fixtures at home for the upcoming season. Team India's home assignment will get underway with India hosting Australia in September.
India defeated South Africa, the No 1 Test side, in perfect home conditions, in the first Test, at the PCA stadium, in Mohali, on Saturday. Join us in congratulating Team India on its success.
'He never had a negative thought in his mind, he was supremely confident.' 'He always stuck to his natural game, he never moved away from that.'
With the opening cricket Test delicately poised after two days of intense action, South Africa have suffered a big blow as pace spearhead Dale Steyn is unlikely to take field, on Saturday, due to a groin strain.
The pitch at the PCA stadium in Mohali has traditionally been a bouncy one but the pitch is expected to be a lot slower when it is used for the first cricket Test between India and Australia.
He became the first player to record 100 wins in the shortest format of the game.
On Friday, Virat Kohli will achieve the milestone of playing 100 matches in the longest format.
Images from the Day 5 of the first Test of the India vs Australia match at Mohali on Tuesday.
It is without doubt one of India's best stadiums. However, it won't stay that way in the future. Ever since hosting its first international match a One-dayer featuring India and South Africa in November 1993 - the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) stadium in Mohali has been everyone's favourite.
Basking in the glory of becoming only the 12th Indian cricketer to play 100 Tests, Virat Kohli said he wants the "next generation" to take inspiration from the fact he could achieve the milestone despite playing in all three formats of the game in a gruelling international schedule.
Tributes also poured in from across the border with former Pakistan opener Saeed Anwar hailing Dhawan's hard work and other qualities.
The Kiwi skipper took a knock on his head during the team's practice session on Monday evening
Former India speedster Javagal Srinath thinks India have a "more balanced bowling attack in the longest format" compared to South Africa which will provide them the edge in the upcoming four-Test series starting November 5.
The injury forced Smith to wear a wrist brace and miss the white ball tour of South Africa.
The entire Team stood together to give Kohli a guard of honour.
With pride hurt and the series on the line, Australia are desperate to snatch a victory in the third Test against India, which commences at Mohali on Thursday. But they will miss the services of Shane Watson and Mitchell Johnson who were stars of the 2010 Mohali Test.
Roundup of matches across the country in the ongoing BCCI Ranji Trophy
In a video interview with his Indian Premier League franchise Kolkata Knight Riders, Gill walked down memory lane, speaking of his early days in Mohali and spoke of everything cricket.
