So, why would Kohli be missed – is it his form? Surely, not! But yes, he is a great of the modern era and has a sound record and good memories of the venue.
Johannesburg: Minutes before the toss, the news that Virat Kohli would not lead the side came to light on Monday. KL Rahul walked out to the centre for the toss along with Dean Elgar. He won the toss and opted to bat and the obvious question was asked.
With a lot of composure, Rahul revealed that Kohli has picked up an upper back spasm injury and is out of the second Test. While that must have broken a million hearts, Rahul confirmed that Hanuma Vihari would be replacing the regular skipper.
“Unfortunately Virat has had an upper back spasm and hopefully he’ll recover for the next Test. It is every Indian player’s dream to captain his country. Really honoured and looking forward to this challenge. We have had a few good wins here and hopefully we’ll look to continue that. Hanuma Vihari comes in place of Virat. Just the one change. It was a good Test at Centurion overall. We really performed well as a team and are really excited about this match,” Rahul said at the toss.
So, why would Kohli be missed – is it his form? Surely, not! But yes, he is a great of the modern era and has a sound record and good memories of the venue.
But – that aside – Kohli is one of the finest leaders of the game – especially in red-ball cricket. The aggression and the sharpness would be missed. And that plays a massive role over a period of five days.
With a 1-0 lead in the series, this is the last thing Indian fans would have been hoping for.
