India vs SA Test Series – Virat Kohli ‘Special Class’: Team India has lost both times they have played at Super-Sport Park in Centurion. The India vs South Africa series starts on this very ground with a Boxing Day Test. India doesn’t want to falter this time & coach Rahul Dravid in team’s first practice session on Saturday was all focussed on one batsman who had a great outing – last time India played here i.e VIRAT KOHLI – Follow India vs South Africa Test Series Live Updates on InsideSport.IN
Kohli scored magnificent 153 last time India played on the ground but the team still lost to the hosts by 135 runs.
Dravid wants his premier batsman to fire again & that is the reason – he was seen spending most of this time with Kohli during the 1st practice session. The duo spent time in nets, were regularly seen having lengthy discussions as the team went about the session.
Getting Test-match ready 👌 👌
🎥 Snippets from #TeamIndia‘s first practice session ahead of the first #SAvIND Test. pic.twitter.com/QkrdgqP959
— BCCI (@BCCI) December 19, 2021
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India vs SA Test Series: Virat Kohli becomes ‘FOUCS’ of Rahul Dravid in 1st training session in South Africa, Coach wants captain to fire in Boxing Day Test, check out
Virat Kohli ‘Special Class’: The video posted by BCCI shows Kohli and Dravid coming out of the bus together with senior players Ravichandran Ashwin and Ajinkya Rahane following them.
Once the session kicks in, Rahul Dravid, who is on his first overseas Test assignment as Team India head coach, can be seen giving some precious inputs to Virat Kohli, who listens keenly and respectfully with his hands on the back.
- Notably, the 33-year-old India Test captain is waiting for his 71st international hundred for more than 2 years now.
- The swashbuckling batter was the highest run-scorer for India in the 2018 tour when he scored 286 runs at an average of 47.66 in three matches.
- He hit one hundred and a fifty, however, India went down fighting 1-2 in the series.
- Overall, Virat Kohli averages 55.80 in South Africa.
Will Kohli be Dravid’s ace? Rahul Dravid very well knows that Virat Kohli will have to play a crucial role if India plans to win their maiden Test series in the Rainbow nation. The Asian giants have failed on the earlier seven occasions.
In the recent home Test series against New Zealand, Kohli had opted to rest in the first match in Kanpur. He returned to lead the team in the second Test but got out for duck in the first innings.
The Delhi-born looked in good touch in the second before being castled by spinner Rachin Ravindra for 36.
Virat Kohli got starts during India’s tour of England earlier this year but failed to convert them into triple-figure scores there as well.
With all the recent controversies surrounding his ODI captaincy sacking and the following press conference wherein he discarded BCCI president Sourav Ganguly’s statement that he was personally called and informed about the decision of the selectors, Kohli would most certainly look to let his bat do the talking.
India’s 1st Practice Session at Centurion – IND SA Boxing Day Test: Also seen in the training video are the likes of Shreyas Iyer, Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ishant Sharma, Ravichandran Ashwin and Jasprit Bumrah.
The end of the video shows a pumped up Kohli walking off the ground with an overloaded bag.
India vs SA Test Series: Virat Kohli becomes ‘FOUCS’ of Rahul Dravid in 1st training session in South Africa, Coach wants captain to fire in Boxing Day Test, check out
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