Kohli special lifts Indians

When the going gets tough, the tough get going. A little over two years without an international century, his once almighty powers clipped by the BCCI, a hostile South Africa pace attack that kept unleashing bombs at relentless intensity, a majority of his team-mates falling prey continuously….Tuesday at Cape Town was a stern examination for Virat Kohli.

Kohli though lives and breathes for such battles. Such contests are the ones that bring out the best in him. Conquering such challenges is what he takes immense pride in. And he walked away with his pride, character and stature enhanced, scoring a monk-like 79 (201b, 12x4, 1x6) to keep the Indians in the game on the opening day of the third Test. Thanks to Kohli’s masterful knock, the Indians were able to post 233 all out in 77.3 overs.

The South Africans, led admirably by Kagiso Rabada (4/73), made life as difficult as possible for Kohli. They just kept bowling around the off-stump, teasing and tormenting him to go for his patented cover-drive. It’s Kohli favourite scoring shot but also a shot that has cost him his wicket often. Kohli, determined to play the waiting game, barely touched any of them. He swallowed his ego, let the bowlers dominate him and was happy playing the second fiddle.

Read more: South Africa 17/1 at stumps in reply to India's 223 all out

The South Africans then started to get closer to Kohli. Rabada yet again led the charge in a riveting second session where the Proteas landed the ball exactly where they wanted. They bowled around the off and middle stump, forcing Kohli to play at it. Every now and then, they moved the ball away from the Delhiite. There were some balls which missed Kohli’s edge by a whisker. There were a few unplayable balls too.

Kohli even had a close shave during that phase when the South Africans sought a review for a caught down the leg-side. Thankfully for Kohli, the snickometer didn’t detect an edge. Around the same time, the Indian middle-order was blown apart.

The pressure was high, typical Test cricket in South Africa. Kohli soldiered on unfazed though. He didn’t allow anything to distract his concentration, batting with patience and discipline that his coach Rahul Dravid was famous for during the majority of his career. He didn’t chase a ball outside the off-stump, unleashed his cover drives only when he was certain he would connect it with the middle of his bat and defended stoically for the remaining part of his innings.

Such was Kohli's patience, it was his second slowest half-century in Test cricket. He only started to switch gears when he started running out of partners. He knew that was the only way he could score and take India to a competitive total.

It was not to be though as Rabada, continuing from where he left off in the second innings of the second Test where his inspirational spell on the third day played a key role in South Africa’s win, sensed a chance to claim the big fish. The more batters try going after Rabada, the more dangerous he becomes.

Kohli, however, had no choice but to unleash the big shots. He poked at a Rabada ball which moved away from him and wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne completed a routine catch, ending a brilliant innings fom the Indian skipper.

While Kohli displayed great character, his team-mates let him down. Yes, most of them got very good ball, but a couple of them could have extended their stays with a little more discipline and better technique. It’s now to their bowlers to bail them out again.