“Always great playing against great players” - South Africa cricketers hail Virat Kohli ahead of Test series

Senior South African players Temba Bavuma, Aiden Markram, Keshav Maharaj, and Kagiso Rabada praised star Indian batter Virat Kohli ahead of the two-match Test series, which begins at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Tuesday, December 26.

While captain Bavuma stated that Kohli is perhaps the biggest threat in the Indian batting line-up, Markram described him as a fierce competitor. Left-arm spinner Maharaj pointed out that a player cannot average 50 over 100 Tests without being someone special, while Rabada asserted that he always enjoys the battle with the great batter.

The tussle between Kohli and the South African bowlers could be one of the defining factors of the India vs South Africa Test series. The former India captain has an impressive Test record in South Africa. In seven Test matches, he has scored 719 runs at an average of 51.35.

Speaking to Star Sports, several South African players shared their thoughts on playing against Kohli.

Skipper Bavuma said:

“The biggest threat in the Indian batting line-up. Think you obviously can’t rule out a guy like Virat Kohli. He’s played here in South Africa quite a number of times, so he would say that he understands the conditions.”

Pacer Rabada added that playing against greats like Kohli is the best way to judge one’s ability.

“It’s always great playing against great players. Virat is a great player. He’s had quite some success against us, but at the same time, we’ve had success against him. It’s a battle that I look forward to always, when you measure yourself up against the best. That’s the reason why you play,” the 28-year-old commented.

According to Proteas batter Markram, Kohli’s hunger and competitive spirit define how a player should approach the game.

“He’s a fierce competitor. We might not always be the most skillful people, but it’s about trying to fight out, compete, have more hunger than those guys that we play against. Virat speaks to those characteristics as well,” the right-hander said.

Kohli has a very good overall Test record against the Proteas. In 14 matches, he has notched up 1236 runs at an average of 56.18 with three hundreds and a best of 254*.

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“Someone doesn’t just average 50 overnight” - Maharaj on Kohli

According to seasoned South African left-arm spinner Maharaj, Kohli knows his game inside out, which is why he has been so successful.

“He knows his Test cricket game. He scored runs for numerous amount of years and the amount of centuries he has got… It’s just about making sure that you can be better than him on the day. [Playing against] someone of his caliber, it’s a best way to gauge yourself in terms of where you are with your game. Someone doesn’t just average 50 overnight playing over 100 Test matches for the country,” the 33-year-old stated.

Kohli has played 111 Tests so far, scoring 8676 runs at an average of 49.33 with 29 hundreds and as many fifties.