Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti: India Join Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan In 1st Test Against South Africa, Fans Laud Initiative
India took on South Africa in the 1st Test of the three-match series at Vizag on Wednesday as the country celebrated Gandhi Jayanti.
Highlights
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India joined the Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti
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The day marked as Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary
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Players supported the campaign with a sticker on their jerseys
India joined the Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, which marked as Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary, during the first Test of the three-match series against South Africa in Vizag on Wednesday. "#TeamIndia joins the #SwachhBharatAbhiyaan again as the sanitation revolution completes 5 years on Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary. #GandhiJayanti #SwachhBharat," the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) captioned an image of Team India players on Twitter. India captain Virat Kohli won the toss and opted to bat at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam.
#TeamIndia joins the #SwachhBharatAbhiyaan again as the sanitation revolution completes 5 years on Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary.#GandhiJayanti #SwachhBharat pic.twitter.com/FvUV7WLbXz
— BCCI (@BCCI) October 2, 2019
Players were seen supporting the campaign with a Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan sticker on their jerseys. Fans heaped praise on the Indian team and lauded the initiative.
It's very good
— Jitendra Singh (@Jitendr11586950) October 2, 2019
#SwachhataHiSeva #GandhiJayanti @PMOIndia
— Apoorva Kumar (@apoorva11447) October 2, 2019
Jai hind jai bharat
— Khushikhatana (@Khushikhatana3) October 2, 2019
"No brainer, going to bat. Looks a good wicket. Will play well for the first couple of days. Nature of the pitch is that it'll get slower after that," Virat Kohli said at the toss.
Limited-over vice-captain Rohit Sharma opened the innings for the first time in his career, along with Mayank Agarwal.
Calling it a "great opportunity" for Rohit, the Indian skipper said: "He's excited to get the role clarity. It's a new opportunity for him."
Besides Rohit Sharma, experienced wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha will be in focus as he makes his return to international cricket after a long time. He last played for India in January 2018.
"According to me, Saha is the best keeper in the world. We were waiting for the right moment to bring him back. They had more experienced players back then. It's going to be a hard grind for sure," Kohli added.
Rohit impressed at the opening slot as he smashed his 11th half-century in Test cricket. He was 52 runs off 84 balls, including five boundaries and two sixes, as India were 91/0 at lunch on the opening day.
South Africa Cricket Team
India Cricket Team
Virat Kohli
Rohit Sharma