Loading: Mission Wander-land as Team India eyes historic Test series win in South Africa

It is very much in their sight. Given how they have fared in Australia and England over the past 12 months few would bet against it.
India's captain Virat Kohli, center, celebrates with teammates after the dismissal of South Africa's batsman Lungi Ngidi. (Photo | AP)
India's captain Virat Kohli, center, celebrates with teammates after the dismissal of South Africa's batsman Lungi Ngidi. (Photo | AP)

CHENNAI: To say Virat Kohli lost his cool at Centurion in 2018 would be a massive understatement.

Having landed in the Rainbow Nation full of hope for a series win, India’s capitulation in successive Tests in Cape Town and Centurion was a tough pill to swallow for an ambitious captain.

More than what unfolded in Cape Town, it was at Centurion where the hosts showed Kohli & Co how far away they were from winning games consistently away from home.

Even at the end of the Cape Town Test, the visitors believed they could still go on to win the series. They were so confident that then support staff led by Ravi Shastri even hosted a party.

The upbeat mood turned sombre after the second Test. The end of match press conference with a livid Kohli turned into a heated exchange with journalists.

The anger was visible. So was the desperation. Back then not a lot believed that this team could go on to win a Test series overseas.

But it was at the Wanderers that they really showed their mettle, one that would become a characteristic of this side going forward.

On a pitch with exaggerated bounce where both sets of batters got hit, the match was halted as it the track was deemed unsafe.

It only resumed after the match referee checked with both teams about whether they wanted to continue.

It was India who wanted to get back on the field. When they notched up the win on Day 4, you could see the wheels turning.

As India head to Wanderers for the New Year’s Test starting on January 3, they will enter the Bull Ring — where they have not lost a Test — fully aware a series win in South Africa is not a distant dream.

It is very much in their sight. Given how they have fared in Australia and England over the past 12 months few would bet against it.

“It’s a beautiful position to be in, to be 1-0 up away from home, put the opposition under pressure again in the second Test is a golden opportunity for us and something that every player is looking forward to,” Kohli told BCCI.tv.

“This sets us up beautifully for the Wanderers, we can go out there and be more positive and optimistic. The new year is a very good marker to analyse how you played your cricket and I think we’ve played some outstanding cricket over the last 2-3 years, specially overseas. We are a side which is getting better and more confident with how much cricket we play,” he added.

The Wanderers, like Centurion, provides conditions where the pitch is generally on the faster side with pacers getting good bounce and movement.

These are the conditions that the Indian attack feasts on and if the batting unit provides good support, they could very well make history in Johannesburg.

That they have started the tour on a winning note by breaching South Africa’s fortress would give visitors more confidence.

“Test series in South Africa in any place is not easy and Centurion is obviously the most difficult of them all. We ended up getting a result in four days is a testimony to the fact that we have become the side we have become today and strength of the squad was on full display. We were just looking for opportunities to win the game and that’s how we play cricket now and given an opportunity at any stage we will pounce on it,” Kohli added.

Although the batting unit witnessed two collapses in Centurion, there were some encouraging signs, especially in the manner in which Ajinkya Rahane and Rishabh Pant went about.

The former appeared to be at his fluent best and seemed set for a good score in the first innings.

Since landing in South Africa, the message to the batters from the support staff has been to tighten up around the off-stump and leave as many deliveries as possible.

That their two collapses happened when they drifted away from the plan said a thing or two. Should they stick to it, they will no longer be a team of wanderers.

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