IND vs SA: 'If Virat Kohli Practiced a Few Days Less, Doesn't Matter Much' - Team India Batting Coach

Team India batting coach Vikram Rathour said that Virat Kohli didn’t look out of touch despite being dismissed for 38 in the first innings of the Boxing Day Test against South Africa. Kohli looked solid despite an early drop catch but Kagiso Rabada produced a peach of delivery to get the better of him on Tuesday. Kohli edged the ball behind the stumps where Kyle Verreynne took an easy catch.

The batting maestro left the pitch in disappointment but many started raising questions on his lack of match practice.

Kohli didn’t take part in the only three-day intra-squad practice game played at Tuks Oval in Pretoria and had taken prior permission to meet his family in the UK for a mini four-day vacation.

Batting coach Rathour came in defence of Kohli and said Kohli doesn’t need a lot of practise.

“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 here on Tuesday.

Talking further about it, Rathour pointed out Kohli’s disciplined training regime and suggested if he misses a few training session then it doesn’t matter much on his performance.

“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,” the former India opener said.

Meanwhile, India were 24 for 3 in the first hour, when Kohli (38) and Shreyas Iyer (31) came to the rescue with a 68-run partnership. However, the duo was dismissed in quick succession.

KL Rahul struck a fighting half-century after Kagiso Rabada claimed his first five-wicket haul against India as the visitors struggled to 208/8 against South Africa when rain and bad light truncated the opening day of the first Test at SuperSport Park on Tuesday.

Rabada bowled with pace and a lot of control to take advantage of a pitch with variable bounce, claiming 5-44 in an absorbing afternoon session in which the hosts claimed four wickets while the visitors added 85 runs.