Lagatar24 Desk
Cape Town, Jan 10: On Monday, Virat Kohli confirmed that he is ‘totally fit’ to lead India in the third Test against South Africa, which begins on January 11 in Cape Town. After missing the second Test due to a back spasm, Kohli will return to the XI. Kohli returned to the nets on Sunday as India resumed preparations for the series decider.
Virat Kohli announced to the media on the eve of the Test series decider that Mohammed Siraj is not match fit to be part of India’s bowling attack for the third Test after suffering a hamstring injury in the second Test in Johannesburg.
“I am absolutely fit, Siraj is recovering and at present, I don’t think he is match-ready. You cannot risk a guy who is not at 110% as a fast bowler. Siraj is not up to the mark but I am absolutely fit,” Kohli said.
In the second Test, South Africa captain Dean Elgar led from the front with an unbeaten 96 as the hosts pulled off a spectacular chase, denying the much-talked-about Indian pace attack success on Day 5 of the Test in Johannesburg, according to a number of former cricketers.
Meanwhile, Virat Kohli has been silent on Mohammed Siraj’s successor, despite the fact that Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav are frontrunners for a spot in the XI. Ishant and Umesh did not participate in the first two Tests, but Kohli stated their presence on the bench is giving the team management a worry.
“We are yet to sit down, myself, coach and vice-captain to see who will play in his (Siraj) place. It is difficult for us to decide who will play because everyone is playing well. We have to have a healthy discussion. I would rather be in this position where we have so many options to consider,” Kohli added.
Indian captain also said that he is not too much bothered about the ‘outside noise’ regarding his form and is just focused on doing the process right and sticking to his basics.
