During the opening Test in Centurion, Virat Kohli appeared in good form but was dismissed by Kagiso Rabada after scoring 38 runs on the first day. Team India transitioned from the ODI series to the Test matches against South Africa, marking the return of key batsmen Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli since the 2023 World Cup final. However, India faced a challenging start, finding themselves at 24/3 initially and later at 92/4, with both Rohit and Kohli departing early. While Rohit was out for 5 runs, Kohli seemed poised for a significant score before a delivery from Rabada ended his innings.
Prior to the Centurion Test, Kohli had limited preparation, participating in just one significant net session on Christmas Eve. Vikram Rathour, India’s batting coach, highlighted that given Kohli’s experience, he doesn’t necessarily need extensive practice sessions. Kohli had skipped the three-day intra-squad practice match at Tuks Oval in Pretoria, having secured permission for a brief family visit to the UK.
He says: The stage of his career Virat (Kohli) is, I don’t think he needs a lot of practice,” Rathour said after the end of opening day’s play of the first Test against South Africa on Tuesday.
He bats a lot and trains a lot. So, if he practiced a few days less, doesn’t matter much. We saw, how well he was playing. It didn’t seem he was away from red ball cricket for six months. It’s a good sign.
Kohli’s arrival in South Africa followed an impressive World Cup performance where he set a new record for the most runs in a single edition and achieved his 50th ODI century during the semi-final against New Zealand. On Day 1 of the Test, KL Rahul anchored India’s innings with an unbeaten 70 runs, guiding the team past the 200-run milestone. Rathour praised Rahul’s ability to handle pressure during his innings against South Africa’s fast bowlers.
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