In 2018, ex-Indian cricket player Sanjay Bangar was the official coach for batting. This was the time when Virat Kohli was Team India’s leader for a trio of Test matches held in South Africa. Despite ending the series with a 2-1 loss, Team India had a victory worth remembering in Johannesburg. Kohli shone throughout all three matches as the team’s top run maker.
But in the opening Test innings, Kohli was removed by Morne Morkel, thus the tour did not get off to a good start. After that, Bangar claimed in a shocking disclosure that the former Indian captain stepped to the nets and was prepared to confront deliveries that came in much faster than expected.
Sanjay Bangar discussed Virat Kohli’s bravery in the face of deliveries that might have easily damaged him in an interview with Star Sports prior to the Test series between South Africa and India. He declared:
“When he got out to Morne Morkel in the Cape Town Test, he was dejected. He was keen on preparing well for the second Test. For that, he was facing up to express pace, I have rarely seen someone prepare like that. Two or three balls hit his helmet.”
Sanjay Bangar
Sanjay Bangar praises Kohli’s burden-bearing role for India
In the second Test, Virat Kohli rallied and earned his redemption with a thrilling century at Centurion. Considering how difficult it was to bat in the two innings of the Johannesburg Test, he also scored 54 and 41, which were both at least hundred runs apiece.
According to Sanjay Bangar, Kohli was largely responsible for keeping India competitive throughout the series. Regarding this, he said:
“He was carrying the weight of the team in the series. He prepared really well. The way he took on express pacers in the nets, he gave himself the best chance to play the way he did that day.”
Sanjay Bangar
Virat Kohli amassed an incredible 286 runs from three games to close up the 2018 series. On Boxing Day, the first Test will take place at Centurion, and India will be hoping he can repeat that purple patch.