Following play at SuperSport Park Stadium in Centurion on the first day of the first Test match between India and South Africa, on December 26, India’s batting coach, Vikram Rathour, made an intriguing comment about star batsman Virat Kohli. With KL Rahul (70*) and Mohammed Siraj at the crease, the Rohit Sharma-led team scored 208/8 at Day 1 stumps after being requested to bat first.
Vikram Rathour emphasized that, considering the stage of his career, Virat Kohli doesn’t require excessive practice before the initial test, which he played after just one net session. In a notable move, the 35-year-old skipped the three-day intra-squad practice match at Tuks Oval in Pretoria to spend four days with his family in the UK.
“At this point in his career, I don’t believe Virat Kohli needs a lot of practice. He trains hard and hits a lot of bats. Therefore, it makes little difference if he practices a few days less. We could tell how good he was playing. He appeared to have been gone from red-ball cricket for only six months. After Day 1 stumping, the 54-year-old remarked, “It’s a positive sign.”
With three wickets lost in the first twelve overs of the first Test, India did not get off to a good start. Kohli and Shreyas Iyer failed to form important alliances, falling by 38 and 31 runs, respectively. KL Rahul, who is also taking up the wicketkeeping duties, contributed a crucial 70* off just 105 deliveries, including two maximums and ten boundaries. In the meantime, Rathour said the 31-year-old can handle pressure effectively based on his performance.
“Rahul is really becoming our man of crisis. He is the one who takes good care of us in difficult situations every time. Nothing exceptional; he was precise with his game plans, attacking and defending the appropriate balls, the former cricket player remarked.
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