IND vs SL: Having crowds, not in our control, team focussed on winning, says Bumrah on Kohli's 100th Test

India vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah on Tuesday said that the team is not thinking about the lack of crowd for the first Test against Sri Lanka because it's not in their control and they are rather focusing on winning the series opener.

The first Test starting on March 4 here will be Virat Kohli's 100th match in the longest format of the game. However, the match will be played without spectators and a section of fans are expressing their disappointment on social media over the issue. Notably, the Punjab Cricket Association confirmed last week that the 1st Test in Mohali will be played without spectators due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The pacer admitted that the crowd does bring energy to the contest but the players can only focus on the controllable.

"See, right now we are in the frame of mind, where we are focussing on what we can control. (If) the crowds come, it is good for the energy, but that is something that we cannot control, we don't have any power regarding that, we don't decide the rules," vice-captain Bumrah said in a virtual press conference.

"So, for us what we can control is our energy, so we are trying to focus on that, and that is the basic thing in everybody's mind right now, that is how do we prepare. We are in the best frame of mind, even if crowds are not there, so how do we keep that energy up. And with that, obviously, as I said, it is a big, big day, a big match for Virat Kohli," he added

Kohli will become the 12th Indian to play 100 Tests after Sachin Tendulkar (200), Rahul Dravid (163), VVS Laxman (134), Anil Kumble (132), Kapil Dev (131), Sunil Gavaskar (125), Dilip Vengsarkar (116), Sourav Ganguly (113), Ishant Sharma (105), Harbhajan Singh (103), and Virender Sehwag (103).