Virat Kohli managed to hit a six after 26 away Test innings as he top-edged a six off Kagiso Rabada to score 79 on day 1 of the Cape Town Test against South Africa.
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The India vs South Africa Test in Cape Town witnessed a riveting battle between Kagiso Rabada and Virat Kohli. The best bowler in the world was having a brilliant tussle against the best batter in the modern game. Virat Kohli dug in and ground out a vital fifty as others found the going hard on a tough pitch. Cheteshwar Pujara was the other top-scorer with 43 but only Kohli managed to go past fifty.
But, during the course of his knock, Kohli achieved a rare feat. When he had reached 19, he top-edged Kagiso Rabada for a six over fine leg to move to 25. This occurred in the second ball of the 41st over. When he hit the six, Kohli broke a hoodoo. It was the first time in 26 Test innings that he hit a six. The Indian cricket team skipper had hit a six in the Perth Test against Australia in 2019. Kohli upper-cut a short ball from Josh Hazlewood that went over the ropes at third man.
The six by Virat Kohli was just his 24th in 99 Tests. In the three-year period since he last hit a six, Kohli has managed only five sixes. The shocking thing is Umesh Yadav has hit more sixes than Virat Kohli. In the three-year period, Kohli has hit a total of five sixes while Umesh Yadav has hit 11.
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Rohit Sharma is the leading six-hitter with 31 sixes in that period, having smashed over 20 sixes in the series against South Africa in 2019. Mayank Agarwal and Rishabh Pant have also hit 25 and 18 sixes in the whole period.
The Indian cricket team skipper overcame the tough conditions to notch up a fifty off 158 deliveries. It was his second-slowest Test fifty in his career. His slowest fifty was in Nagpur in 2012/13 against England. In that knock, he had consumed 171 balls. Kohli shared a partnership of 62 with Cheteshwar Pujara as they weathered the discipline of the South Africa bowlers.
The opening sessions were cloudy and there was plenty of help on offer for the pacers. Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen, and Lungi Ngidi all piled on the pressure. Rabada troubled Kohli consistently with away-swingers. Kohli tried to shuffle to the offside and looked to get quick runs as South Africa regularly took wickets. But, on 79, Rabada got a ball to nip away and Kohli wafted at the ball to edge it to the keeper. India will be aiming to make more inroads on day 2 as they look to win a Test series in South Africa for the first time.
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