Team India star batter Virat Kohli has been putting in hard yards during the practice session ahead of the second Test against South Africa on Monday, January 1.
India will face Proteas in the New Year's Test at Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town on January 3, Wednesday. The visitors lost the opening Test match in Centurion by an innings and 36 runs.
Kohli scored 38 runs in the second innings, followed by gritty 76 off 82 balls in the second innings. He was the highest run-getter for India in Centurion Test, scoring 114 runs across two innings. His performance was an indication of how good his form has been recently.
In a video posted on X (formerly Twitter), Kohli can be seen facing deliveries of Mohammed Siraj, Ravichandran Ashwin and a net bowler. In Ashwin's delivery, former India captain during his feet to hit the ball for a massive six.
During the Centurion Test, Virat Kohli achieved the feat of becoming the first player to amass 2000 international runs in seven different calendar years. The former India captain shattered Sri Lankan batting legend Kumar Sangakkara's record of 2000-run mark six times in a calendar year.
India never won a Test match in Cape Town
India will head to second Test with a hope of drawing the two-match Test series after losing the Test series opener in Centurion.
However, the visitors haven't won a Test match in Cape Town, which has been dominated by Proteas with 27 wins from 59 matches. Team India played six Tests at Newlands Cricket Ground but they lost four times and managed to draw the match twice.
The last time Team India played at Cape Town was in January 2022 but they were bundled out for 223 and 198 in the first and second innings respectively. Proteas won the third Test by 7 wickets. Thereafter, Virat Kohli stepped down from Test captaincy duties.
Rohit Sharma-led side will look to break the winless streak in Cape Town when they take on South Africa in the 2nd Test of the ongoing series.
