The practice match here against the South African Invitational XI had already been called off on the first day due to wet patches in the outfield. But skipper Dhoni quite liked the Benoni pitch and that's why they travelled all the way from Johannesburg to practise at the Willowmore Park ground.
And just like they did on Friday, India maintained a specific batting-order, sending Kohli at No. 4. Following Sachin Tendulkar's retirement, the topic of discussion in Indian cricket has been who will replace the Little Master in Test cricket. There are experts who believe Rohit Sharma is the best man for the job, but if the practice sessions
in Benoni were any indication, the team management wants Kohli to bat one
spot up.
For the second day running, after openers Shikhar Dhawan and M Vijay finished their batting stint, Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara padded up. They were greeted with a barrage of short balls and Kohli was up for it. There were quite a few pull shots played by the Delhi star and he looked to be in control, at least against the pace of Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami.
Ray Jennings, former South African coach, who has also worked with Kohli at Royal Challengers Bangalore, feels the right-hander has the temperament to replace Tendulkar. "I know you guys will make a lot about this No. 4 slot, but if I know Virat, he wouldn't be thinking about it. He will look to play with an open mind," Jennings told TOI.
The requirements of the slot demand a good mix of caution and aggression and Kohli was keen to do just that during his stint. He left the balls that were directed outside the off-stump and swayed out of the line of deliveries that rose above his shoulder. However, he didn't mind playing the big shots off the back-foot when the bounce wasn't too nasty.
"Virat has played at No. 3 in ODIs and has batted at No. 5 in Tests. He understands the dynamics of batting at the top and the No. 4 slot can be a natural progression for him. Virat is also a hungry batsman and he would like to go one slot up," Jennings reckoned.
While Kohli looked comfortable at No. 4, the two batsmen coming in after him were Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane. Both had a few anxious moments initially, but settled down after spending some time at the wicket.
It seemed as if the Indian team management had instructed the bowlers to send down as many short balls as possible to the top-six. So, as Zaheer Khan was busy with his physical training, the first hour was all about Ishant and Shami bowling back-of-the-length stuff.
Bowling coach Joe Dawes brought out the side-arm (a device to throw the ball) as well, hurling down those short deliveries, as the batsmen tried to leave those without taking their eyes off the ball. In the first half an hour, Bhuvneshwar bowled fuller and outside the off-stump as the likes of Dhawan, Pujara and Kohli worked on leaving the deliveries. If they can show similar restraint when the Test starts at the Wanderers in four days' time, India will be in a happy space.
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