3 reasons why Virat Kohli should bat at No. 3 for India in 2nd Test vs South Africa

Team India suffered a demoralizing loss in the first Test against South Africa as the hosts thrashed them by an innings and 32 runs in Centurion. With the win, the Proteas kept their unbeaten Test series record against India at home intact.

There weren't many positives for India from the heavy defeat, which was their first of the ongoing World Test Championship cycle, but one of them was definitely Virat Kohli. The superstar batter waged a lone battle in a meek second-innings batting effort by his team and looked set for a big one in the first essay as well before being undone by a beauty from Kagiso Rabada.

Out of his 189 innings in Tests, Kohli has batted at No. 4 in 143 of them. He has batted at No. 3 only six times and has a lowly average of 19.4 at the position. However, things are different now, and the 35-year-old might need to move one spot up to suit the demands of the team.

Here are three reasons why Virat Kohli should bat at No. 3 in the second Test against South Africa.

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#3 It's time for the senior men to step up in Pujara and Rahane's absence

Ajinkya Rahane walks off: Australia v India - ICC World Test Championship Final 2023: Day Five

India are currently going through a period of transition in Test cricket, primarily in the batting department.

Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane, who have been part of the backbone of the batting lineup over the last decade, are no longer part of the side. Having dished out below-par performances for a considerable while, the duo have seemingly been phased out.

Kohli is the lone survivor in the middle order and needs to step up in the absence of his former teammates. Batting at No. 3 is arguably a bigger challenge than at No. 4, and the former skipper is a fighter who is known to confront challenges head-on.

Why is batting at No. 3 generally a bigger challenge? It might not always hold true in South Africa, where lateral movement is prevalent throughout the innings, but the ball tends to do more in the air when it's new.

If a wicket falls early, Kohli will be exposed to testing conditions. That shouldn't be a problem, though...

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#2 Virat Kohli has looked one of the best against seam and swing

Virat Kohli left the ball when needed in the first Test

Barring a recurrent tendency to play loose drives away from his body, Virat Kohli is one of the best players of seam and swing in the current Indian team. The star batter is assured against fast bowling - all he has to do to succeed is rein in his desire to waft at wide ones.

Kohli's Test batting average in South Africa is an impressive 52.06, and arguably no overseas batter has managed to achieve as much success in the Rainbow Nation. He also averages 54.08 in Australia and brought his average in England up to 33.21 with a prolific series in 2018.

Kohli has the technique and temperament to do well at No. 3. More importantly...

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#1 It would allow Shubman Gill to bat at a more ideal position

Shubman Gill was castled with ease in the second innings of the first Test

Shubman Gill has taken up the No. 3 spot since Pujara's ouster, but the young batter's game is a work in progress. While he's one of the best ODI batters in the world, he is susceptible against swing and seam in red-ball cricket.

Kohli's game is much more well-rounded, and him batting at No. 3 would allow Gill to be used at a more ideal spot lower down the order. This could be either No. 4 or No. 5, depending upon how India want to use Gill and Shreyas Iyer, who also looked uncomfortable in the first Test.

Gill has been earmarked as a long-term middle-order option for India, and it's high time that he is moved to a more comfortable spot.