India captain back among the runs on his return from back spasm
Virat Kohli
India’s batting coach Vikram Rathour has said that fit-again captain Virat Kohli’s approach in the Cape Town Test was more disciplined. Kohli’s patient knock of 79 (12x4, 1x6) helped the visitors post 223 all out against South Africa in the first innings. The Proteas lost their in-form skipper Dean Elgar (3) to end Day One at 17-1.
Kohli led India to a 113-run win in the first Test at Centurion, but scored only 35 and 18. He missed the second Test at Johannesburg due to a back spasm and India lost by seven wickets under stand-in captain KL Rahul.
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“One good change today [Tuesday] was that he [Kohli] was more disciplined. He looked really good and solid. With a bit of luck, this could have been a big one but I am happy with the way he played today,” Rathour, 52, said during a virtual press conference on Tuesday.
Vikram Rathour
Kohli, 33, who has amassed 7,854 runs from 98 Tests, has been struggling for a big knock for a few years. He is yet to get a Test century since his 136 versus Bangladesh at Kolkata in 2019. Kohli got out in the Centurion Test while attempting a cover drive, chasing outside the off stump ball (to pacer Lungi Ngidi in the first innings) and lost his wicket in the same manner to young left-arm pacer Marco Jansen in the second essay. However, Kohli, who joined Cheteshwar Pujara (43) when India were struggling at 33-2 at the Newlands on Tuesday, took his time, faced 201 balls and didn’t hesitate to dispatch a few through cover and mid-off.
“I was never concerned that he [Kohli] is not batting well. He was looking very good in the nets and very good in the games also.
“South Africa was very disciplined to Virat initially. He was not getting many balls to drive and pull, this is how he responded. He was looking really good till the point he got out. I mean, it is not a conscious thing, it was just a lapse of concentration in the last game when he chased a wide delivery. He played some cover drives today [Tuesday], he picked the right balls,” Rathour added.
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