Indian batsman Virat Kohli is leaving no stone unturned in his preparation for the second Test against South Africa. According to PTI reports, the batsman is known to have been undergoing an intense training session to meet the challenge from Nandre Burger.
Nandre Burger caused a lot of problems for the Indian batsmen in the first Test in Cape Town and picked up four wickets in the second innings. Virat Kohli played in the nets with a bowler similar to Burger and was seen making tough yards in the session, which lasted over an hour on New Year’s Day.
Reports suggested that Virat Kohli started the session by taking on the bowlers in the middle nets. After that, he batted against high-intensity takedowns in the outside nets. The batsman’s main objective was to take on the left-arm bowlers, of which South Africa have two: Marco Jansen and Burger.
Virat Kohli then batted against a South Africa bowler and reports also suggested that he also faced Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravichandran Ashwin and Avesh Khan in the nets.
Virat Kohli is known to have looked with great touch and played regularly taking steps forward. He was seen coming down the track towards the bowlers and hitting shots towards the mid-wicket area. The net bowler provided by CSA was comparatively slow for Nandre Burger and allowed the batsman to read the inswing.
Virat Kohli was also in match simulations. However, during that, the batsman was not allowed to move forward on the front foot. The right-hander, however, scored a sensational six against Ravichandran Ashwin and played against Jasprit Bumrah with class.
Virat Kohli was great in the first match. He played a good knock in the first innings and scored 38 runs. His best moment came in the second innings when he played a sensational knock for his team and was the only warrior in the team. He scored 76 runs and played some majestic knocks.
IND vs SA: Apart from Virat Kohli’s intensified net session, Shreyas Iyer faces short balls
Apart from Virat Kohli’s intense session, the focus was on Shreyas Iyer. He saw the batsman facing many short balls. The batsman has had problems against the short ball. He was tested a lot in the first match against the fiery South African pacers.
Shreyas Iyer played a decent innings of 31 runs in the first innings at Centurion but couldn’t get going in the second innings. In the net session, he was seen playing left-armed from 18 yards and was hit in the stomach. He also had problems with the short ball in the nets.
Shreyas Iyer will have to play a crucial role for the team in the upcoming match. The batsman will hold the key for India in the Cape Town Test. India would look to make a strong comeback after suffering an innings and 32-run loss in the first game. They would be eager to draw the series.
According to the same report, all-rounder Shardul Thakur, who had earlier suffered a massive injury, participated in the session as a batsman and looked comfortable.
