Former India captain Virat Kohli was observed working hard during the team’s practice session ahead of the second Test in Cape Town, in an attempt to counter the tough challenge offered by South Africa‘s Nandre Burger’s left-arm pace.
Virat Kohli spent much of his optional training session at Newlands honing his techniques against left-arm pace. He concentrated on practicing against Burger, who had a fantastic showing in the first Test match, taking seven wickets in both innings.
Virat Kohli went for a long batting session, batting in the middle for about an hour while taking on bowlers.
Later, for perhaps twenty to twenty-five minutes, he was subjected to intense throwdowns in the outside nets. Notably, he deliberately trained against a left-arm fast bowler in the area to better equip himself to fend off Burger’s threat. He also faced deliveries from important Indian bowlers like Mohammed Siraj, Avesh Khan, R Ashwin, and Jasprit Bumrah to guarantee a comprehensive training programme.
The 18-yard challenge presents difficulties for Shreyas Iyer.
Concerns surfaced during the practice session when left-armer Nuwan Senaviratne of Sri Lanka smacked batter Shreyas Iyer in the stomach while he was trying to pull off a pull shot. Moreover, the throwdown specialists who hit from eighteen yards out forced Iyer to work hard since they failed to give the batter the necessary confidence.
Especially during the center-wicket practice, Bumrah and Siraj, the fast bowlers, concentrated on hitting lengths of six to eight meters while keeping their rhythm and consistency throughout their five-over periods. Ravichandran Ashwin, on the other hand, focused on bowling a longer length against the hitters in an effort to challenge them using a different approach. The team’s meticulous preparation and ability to adjust to different bowling types will be key components of their strategy as they get ready for the second Test, which will be against South Africa.