Former South African cricketer Daryll Cullinan heaped praise on Indian skipper Virat Kohli ahead of the opening Test of the upcoming three-match Test series, starting on December 26 in Centurion.
Kohli came to South Africa following his sacking as India’s ODI captain and he has almost gone another year without a century, which would certainly put pressure on the right-hander, and Cullinan said that there will be extra pressure on him to perform with the bat in the Test series.
However, the former batter said that Kohli is a proven player, but he has to score big runs for Team India if he doesn’t want the tourists to struggle in South Africa in the upcoming Test series.
Cullinan told Gulf News from South Africa: “See, Kohli has been always under pressure. If he is playing well, there are questions as to can he play better? If he is not playing well, why isn’t he playing well? He’s a proven player and it’s very important that he does well for India to do well in the series. If he’s battling, India will battle.”
He further added, “During their last tour in 2017-18, India relied heavily on Kohli. In Cape Town, his head was moving a bit too much but in Johannesburg, he played beautifully. I like the way he goes about his game and builds his innings. He will surely want to do well in South Africa as it’s a country where top batters want to do well and leave their mark.”
Meanwhile, the upcoming Test series is seen as a battle between South African fast bowlers and Indian batters and Cullinan said: “South Africa needs to leave something on their pitches for the seam bowlers. If India can start well, then they can go into the series as favorites.”
On being asked how to do well in the Test series, he said: “The key is to show application and be good against the new ball. The first 30 overs of each inning are very critical as after that, the Kookaburra ball softens a bit. A total of 350-400 in the first innings can set the tone of the Test match and the series.”
Speaking about South Africa’s chances in the Test series against India, Cullinan said: “If I am correct, it will be Dean Elgar’s first series as captain. They also haven’t played Tests in a while and hence, they could be slow starters. They should not be timid and the batsmen need to put runs on the board to back their bowlers.”
He continued, “It’s an imperative that the top four-five batters hold their own as they have a particularly long tail. Quinton De Knock, who can be a game-changer, will be possibly missing the final two Tests and that could be a big blow.”
Cullinan signed off by saying, “Let’s pray we should see three completed matches. Cricket South Africa have gone out of their way to make the series happen, but I must admit that it’s not an easy time to be an international cricketer for the bubble life.”
(With Gulf News Inputs)
