Back in 2018, during India’s tour of South Africa, the visiting team’s fortunes depended on Virat Kohli, and on this tour as well, they pretty much rest on him. Former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar feels that it is Virat’s training that gives him the edge. He went on to reveal, how Virat made a comeback in the series, after failure in the first Test in 2018.
As part of the preparation, Kohli faced deliveries that were a lot quicker than expected. Speaking to Star Sports, Bangar revealed that Virat was fearless while facing balls, that could have injured him.
“When he got out to Morne Morkel in the Cape Town Test, he was dejected. He was keen on preparing well for the second Test. For that, he was facing up to express pace, I have rarely seen someone prepare like that. Two or three balls hit his helmet.”
Thereafter, the former India skipper scored a ton at Centurion and followed that up with a fifty in Johannesburg Test. Bangar also went on to say that it was Kohli who kept India in the hunt alone.
“He was carrying the weight of the team in the series. He prepared really well. The way he took on express pacers in the nets, he gave himself the best chance to play the way he did that day.”
Editors pick
