JOHANNESBURG (AFP) – When India takes on South Africa in the second Test at the Wanderers Stadium on Monday, skipper Virat Kohli has every reason to believe his team can complete a historic Test series victory.
“It’s a field we all enjoy playing on, and we’re looking forward to it,” Kohli said after India defeated South Africa by 113 runs in the first Test at Centurion on Thursday.
Kohli’s belief is backed up by the numbers.
Since their first visit of South Africa in 1992/93, India has yet to lose a Test match at the country’s premier cricket arena, with a record of two wins and three draws.
For the first time in history, Kohli wants India to win the series against South Africa.
Despite the Wanderers’ reputation as a fast bowling-friendly venue, which should have put India at a disadvantage on some of their past excursions prior to the advent of their current formidable pace attack, India has routinely done well in Johannesburg.
For several of the Indian tour group, the land evokes very fond recollections.
In a tied match in 1996/97, new coach Rahul Dravid scored his first Test century, and ten years later, he captained India to their first Test victory in South Africa.
In a high-scoring tie in 2013/14, Kohli gave a batting masterpiece, scoring 119 and 96 runs to help India set the hosts a seemingly insurmountable target of 458 runs to win.
In that match, though, South Africa came within a whisker of defeating India for the first and only time in Johannesburg, scoring 450 for eight in a thrilling draw.
Kohli then guided India to victory on a sub-par pitch four seasons ago, a triumph he has referred to as a “milestone” that gave the team the confidence to win a series in Australia last January.
They also have a 2-1 advantage over England, with the last Test scheduled for 2022 after being postponed last year owing to cholera in the Indian camp.
On a field that was suspended at one point due to dangerous circumstances, Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Ajinkya Rahane all scored significant runs, while Mohammed Shami, one of the heroes of the Centurion victory, grabbed five for 28 in the second innings.