In the build-up to the Boxing Day Test match, the Indian cricket team toiled hard in their first practice session at the SuperSport Park in Centurion on Sunday, December 24. Virat Kohli, the former Indian captain, was one of the many top cricketers from Team India participating in the training session, wherein he took throwdowns from 18 yards.
As per the report from RevSportz, Virat Kohli arrived at the training session later than the rest of his teammates after landing in Johannesburg with his family on Sunday morning. After getting himself accustomed to the pace and bounce of the South African pitches at the SuperSport Park in Centurion with an hour-long batting session, he was spotted with the Indian head coach Rahul Dravid, discussing the tricks of the trade.
Apart from Virat Kohli, the likes of the captain Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, and Ravichandran Ashwin were some of the other cricketers working away in the training session. The upcoming two-match Test series against South Africa is the first assignment for all these top players in Indian colours after they were part of a tough loss against Australia in the final of the ODI World Cup 2023 at home.
KL Rahul, who led India to a 2-1 win in the ODI series against South Africa earlier in the week, was polishing his wicket-keeping skills in an extended session before heading to the nets to have a bat. The 31-year-old is expected to take the wicket-keeping gloves for the Men in Blue in the Test series against the Proteas at the turn of the year.
India has arrived in the rainbow nation, aiming to win the Test series against South Africa for the first time. The best result for India in the longest format of the game in South Africa happened during the 2010-11 season, a 1-1 draw after three Test matches.