Cape Town Jan 11 (BNA): India captain Virat Kohli has fended off criticism of his latest form and said he is “at peace with my game” heading into the crucial third Test against South Africa in Newlands on Tuesday.
Middle tier hitter Kohli will return to the squad after back spasms ruled him out of the seven-wicket defeat in the second Test in Johannesburg that left teams tied 1-1 and India on track for their first victory in South Africa, Reuters reports.
He’s done so by averaging just 26.08 in 14 Tests since the start of 2020, well below his career mark of 50.34. But the 33-year-old said it was not the first time his place had come under scrutiny.
“This has happened many times in my career,” Kohli told reporters on Monday. “England in 2014 was one of those. But I don’t see myself through the lens of the outside world.”
“The standards we’re talking about today are set by myself. In sports, sometimes things don’t go the way you want them to. But I’ve been part of important partnerships (batting) when the team needed me.
“Those moments were crucial for us in many test matches. If you are always going to judge yourself on numbers and milestones, you will never be satisfied.
“I am at peace with the way I play and what I can do for the team when there is a difficult scenario. I have nothing else to worry about. I don’t need to prove anything to anyone.”
Kohli revealed that speed bowler Mohamed Serraj will miss the third test for the hamstring injury he suffered in Johannesburg.
One of Ishant Sharma or Umesh Yadav will likely get the nod as an alternative.
“I don’t think he (Sarraj) is match-ready and you can’t risk a guy who doesn’t have 110% fast karma. We haven’t sat down yet to decide what we want to do about the replacement,” Kohli said.
“It’s hard to know who we’re playing because everyone is at the top of their game.”
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