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'Bowl Those Deliveries..', AB de Villiers Reveals Virat Kohli’s Biggest Weakness Before SA Tests

Vaibhav Tripathi

image-lqi0ziziDe Villiers & Kohli have played together for RCB [X.com]

Former South African skipper AB de Villiers has shared some valuable tips for the Proteas bowlers on how to dismiss talismanic Indian batter Virat Kohli. De Villiers said that to dismiss Kohli, the Proteas bowlers must stick to bowling in the fourth stump channel and wait for the pitch to do something from that line.

After securing only their second ODI series victory in South Africa, India are set to face South Africa in a two-match Test series starting with the Boxing Day game at the SuperSport Park in Centurion on December 26. Kohli is expected to play a significant role for India in alien conditions in South Africa.

In the current Test squad, Kohli has the most experience playing in South African conditions and has the most runs against the home side. The right-handed batter has amassed 719 runs at an impressive average of 51.35 in seven Tests in South Africa. His 217-ball 153 in the 2018 Centurion Test is his best effort against the Proteas away from home.

Dismissing Kohli will not be very easy for the Proteas bowlers, as the Indian batter likes to take on the challenge of churning out runs for the team in the most crucial times. 

However, one weakness of Kohli's batting over the years has been chasing a delivery bowled outside off. He has worked a lot but still manages to get out on that line. Most bowlers bowl at him on that line when he's new to the crease.

ABD, who has seen Kohli from close quarters at RCB, wants Proteas to bowl in the fourth stump channel to dismiss the Indian stalwart.

"Only way to get a Virat Kohli kind of batter out is a very orthodox way of bowling on the fourth stump channel and play a waiting game. And wait for that one delivery which nips a bit far away,"  AB de Villiers told PTI during an exclusive interview ahead of the Boxing Day Test starting December 26.

The former SA cricketer likened Kohli's batting prowess to Sachin Tendulkar's, noting that Kohli, much like Sachin, is extremely tough to dismiss.

"You can't attack a good player, he was straight. Like in case of Tendulkar, it was silly to always wait for leg before (to an incoming delivery). Because he would hit you through mid-wicket. So bowl those deliveries outside off-stump (to Virat) and wait for one to either nip away or nip in,"  de Villiers concluded.

Kohli is preparing for the upcoming Test series in a nation where India has not yet clinched a red-ball series victory. During the 2021-22 South Africa tour, Kohli scored 161 runs at an average of 40.25, with a top score of 79 in two out of the three Tests. 

He was absent from the team's ongoing three-day intra-squad game in Pretoria, having returned to India due to a family emergency. The 35-year-old is expected to rejoin the squad before the start of the first Test. In the meantime, opener Ruturaj Gaikwad will be sidelined for the red-ball series due to a finger injury.