Graeme Smith wonders if red-hot Virat Kohli could bat in the same fashion when India falters

The purple patch in South Africa for Virat Kohli continues as he has been in impeccable form in the ongoing tour of South Africa. Kohli has been in the headlines for all the good reasons.

Concurrently, Kohli is bossing the game and has hardly put a wrong step forward.

Kohli scored 558 runs in the six-match One-day International series. It is also the highest-ever scored by a batsman in a bilateral series from India.

The Indian skipper Kohli has amassed 870 runs in all the three formats with two matches to go before the culmination of the series.

Kohli’s personal form has been a major factor in the success of the Indian team. After Team India lost the first two Tests, the side has staged a strong return to clinch the third Test in Johannesburg.

India then won the ODI series 5-1 and have also taken a 1-0 lead in the ongoing three-match T20 series.

Kohli has been praised by the cricketing fraternity for his style of play and the way he has led the Indian team on the tour.

However, amidst all these praises, former South African captain Graeme Smith has thought about something special.

Smith was wondering if Kohli will be able to perform in the same manner if the team does not win.

He asserts, “His own game has been incredible. He’s led from the front, he’s given India the mindset that they can play away from home, that they want to be here and in tough conditions. That is key and he’s led the way. As long as India stay on top, he’s going to be hugely successful. I think the challenge for him as India’s best player is if India get under pressure for a long period of time, how would that affect his batting? But at the moment he is looking sublime,”

 

Smith also added, “I was a little worried in the Test series, in game one and two, I thought his emotions were getting the better of him, and maybe that was starting to impact the players around him. But I think he’s got himself under control.”

Smith also remarked that Virat Kohli is the best modern-day batsman, “I just think in modern-day cricket, batters have forgotten how to construct innings. Getting a 40 off 20 balls is exciting but it doesn’t win you games. Someone like Kohli does that, at good rates. He knows how to construct an innings, and a lot of those youngsters need to look at that and realise how the game needs to be played.”

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