Virat Kohli scripted a unique yet unwanted record when he pulled Kagiso Rabada for a six to bring India’s first six of the match.
Kohli, who got off the mark with a delightful cover drive in the morning, hit another majestic one off Jansen in the afternoon besides a six he collected from a mistimed pull off Rabada.
Renowned statistician Mohandas Menon tweeted that this was only Kohli’s fifth six in Tests in the last three years. Kohli’s five sixes are a stark comparison to the Indian batting trio of Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal and Rishabh Pant, who have cleared the ropes 31, 25 and 18 times respectively.
What a six by kohli ? pic.twitter.com/VRjwsEVo2O
— Dinesh LiLawat (@imDL45) January 11, 2022
A rare six for Virat Kohli in Tests!
Today his six at Cape Town is the only fifth in the last three years!
During the same period Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal and Rishabh Pant have hit 31, 25 & 18 sixes respectively!#IndvSA #IndvsSA #SAvIND #INDvsSA— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) January 11, 2022
Even more astonishing is the fact that Umesh Yadav is ahead of Kohli in terms of most sixes hit. In a reply to a tweet from a fan, Menon said that Umesh has smashed 11 sixes and off far lesser deliveries. “Umesh 11 sixes in 155 balls, Kohli 5 in 2568 balls,” he tweeted.
A much more favorable milestone that came from this match is the fact that Kohli completed 1000 runs in SA as captain on course of his 79-run innings which ended when he was caught by Verreynne off Rabada.
Ever since scoring his maiden double century (his 12th career 100) in North Sound in June 2016, this is also the first time number half-centuries (28) has exceeded centuries (27) for Virat Kohli in his test career.
Virat Kohli deserved a century didn’t get any support ?
Rabada earned Virat’s wicket ?#CricketTwitter #KingKohli #INDvSA pic.twitter.com/HdVsVCrFkD— Sajawal khaN NiaZi( MaNN NiaZee waTTa khel)?? (@SajwalNiaZii) January 11, 2022
Earlier, openers KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal were out in the space of six balls before Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara came together to take the tourists to lunch without any more damage.
They grew their partnership to 62 in the second session before Marco Jansen broke it to get Pujara caught behind for 43.
Kagiso Rabada (2-52) claimed his second wicket of the day soon after that when Ajinkya Rahane went for 9 caught behind by wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne and after failing with a review.
India encountered trouble when cloudy skies at the start of the day aided South Africa’s pace bowlers.
Rahul was caught behind off Duanne Olivier for 12 and Mayank fell in the next over for 15 to Rabada.
