Ahead of South Africa tour, Virat Kohli issues statement of intent

India have just beaten West Indies in a series. The Tests were easy, the ODIs were dull and that just about sums it up. But Dhoni’s men did what they do so well – they got on with the job at hand. In an alternate universe, around the same time, they could have been in South Africa facing up to best pace bowling attack in the world. But Dhoni has never been one to let his mind wander too much. He sticks to the present; to reality and so does his team. Virat Kohli is ready for India’s tour of South Africa. PTI Virat Kohli, who was adjudged the man of the series for scoring 204 runs in three matches against the West Indies, showed in the post match press conference that he was focussed on the tougher tour to follow. “Just trying to make the most of the sort of form that I am in.

 Just trying to do the right things, do the basics right. The most important month — tour to South Africa — is coming up. You have make the most of your good form,” said Kohli. “Just been hungry for runs but as I said the most important month for this team starts now.” “South Africa is a challenge this team likes challenges. We know we will be presented with a challenge in South Africa but we are ready for it. I think… no… I know we will do a good job there too,” Kohli added. At some level, you are glad that Kohli knows he will be judged by what he does on the SA tour – not by what he achieved against a weak West Indies team. At another level, you can’t help but marvel at the confidence of the young Indian team. There simply is no fear. South Africa will be the first true test of this young Indian team; it is also the first time the youngsters will be called upon to shoulder the responsibility of success and failure. Wins against Zimbabwe, West Indies don’t really matter – not anymore. 

Australia recalled Mitchell Johnson from the ODI tour for the Ashes, giving us an idea of how highly they rated the series, and even the Champions Trophy triumph was strangely enough a product of slow pitches… almost Indian conditions according to many. Among the batsmen only Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Chesteshwar Pujara have played Test cricket in South Africa. Among the bowlers, only Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma have any real idea of what the conditions will offer. For the others – it is pretty much unknown territory (despite the ‘A’ tours and IPL matches). The Indian team has never won a Test or ODI series in South Africa and even though the Proteas lost the ODI series against Pakistan, it will not be easy. Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel will come at them hard – in conditions that will be very different from what the Indians played on in recent times. 

In the past to prepare for SA tours, batsmen would practise with wet rubber and plastic balls. They would get pitches specially prepared. They would go there early (like they did on the last tour with coach Gary Kirsten leading them straight to his academy). But, this squad simply hasn’t had the time to do that. They have been playing cricket non-stop but still, this team isn’t scared. They will still go out, play their brand of cricket, back themselves, be aggressive and hope to find a way to make it all work. That’s what Dhoni does over and over again and the rest of the team simply follows his cue. 

For all his success in ODIs, the right-hander has still not established himself as a Test batsmen (avg of 41.16 as against 52.27 in ODIs, the average further falls to 28.92 in overseas Tests)and he knows that. He has also experienced the lows of Australia first hand and that is why Kohli’s words, simply put, were a statement on intent. India don’t intend to go down with a fight… they don’t intend to go down at all. Let’s just hope that at the end of it all, it’s not just talk.

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