Virat Kohli has backed veteran players Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane prior to the third Test against South Africa at Newlands in Cape Town.
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Team India Test captain Virat Kohli has backed veteran players Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane prior to the third Test against South Africa at Newlands in Cape Town. Pujara and Rahane both were going through tough times but returned with the fifties in the second innings of the second Test in Johannesburg.
Notably, their 111-run stand for the third wicket helped India give South Africa a 240-run target, although, it was not enough. And, the hosts chased it down with seven wickets to spare and level the series. However, Virat Kohli said that their experience in overseas conditions is “priceless.”
“If you look at the last Test especially in the second, both Rahane and Pujara (batted really well)… That experience if priceless for us. In a series like this where you know these guys have done the job in the past. When you play overseas in tough conditions, these guys will always step up with impact performances. We’ve seen that in Australia. We saw that in the last Test as well. These are crucial knocks in crucial scenarios. That has a lot of value,” Kohli said in the pre-match press conference on the eve of the series decider.
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Meanwhile, the players like Hanuma Vihari and Shreyas Iyer are there to replace them in the middle-order in Test cricket. However, Kohli added that the “transition should happen naturally” and not “forced” on individuals as well.
“I cannot pinpoint when we will have a transition. The game in itself pans out in such a way that things happen naturally. It can’t be forced. Conversations cannot be forced about transition. We should let transitions unfold naturally instead of forcing it on an individual,” Kohli added.
The captain also confirmed his availability for the Cape Town Test as well. He also stated that Mohammed Siraj won’t be available as he is not match-fit yet. Notably, Siraj has suffered a hamstring injury in Johannesburg.
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“I am absolutely fit,” Virat Kohli, who had missed the second Test due to a back spasm, said. “Siraj is obviously recovering from the (hamstring) niggle he had in the last game and at present, I don’t think he is match-ready to take the field in the third Test.”
“You cannot obviously risk a guy who is not at 110 per cent as a fast bowler and we know how important that is as the little niggle he had can extend into an injury,” Virat Kohli concluded.
