"I cannot wait to see the chest out"- AB de Villiers expects Virat Kohli to be fired up for India's Test series against South Africa
Former South African legendary batter AB de Villiers believes Virat Kohli will be motivated to help India win their first-ever Test series on South African soil when they play a two-Test series starting December 26.
The last time India played Tests in South Africa, they lost 2-1 and that was Kohli's final assignment as Test captain. However, De Villiers fully expects the veteran batter to be fired up and fulfill that goal of winning the series on South African soil.
Answering questions in a video on his YouTube channel, here's what AB de Villiers had to say about Virat Kohli:
"We will see the best of Virat. I cannot wait to see the chest out, the eye contact with the opposition, and being a bit verbal with everyone. Because he will be fired up for this series. South Africa will need to be careful. This Indian squad is pure world-class."
AB de Villiers on mindset of Virat Kohli & Rohit Sharma
AB de Villiers could relate to how Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma must be feeling after missing out on the World Cup despite getting so close. However, he also explained how motivated he was to play the ODI series against India just months after the 2015 World Cup heartbreak.
De Villiers feels Kohli and Rohit will be motivated to be a part of the first Indian team to win a Test series in South Africa. He stated:
"When we had lost in the semifinal in 2015, I can't remember it is just a blur the next few months. I just didn't want to know cricket and wanted to just pack my kit away. What works for Virat and Rohit is that they haven't won a Test series in South Africa. For them, this is a great opportunity. We had the opportunity to win an ODI series in India just a few months after the 2015 World Cup and I was incredibly motivated as I thought this is the opportunity to show that we were still the best team in the world."
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will be back playing for India directly in the Test series as they have reportedly asked for rest from ODIs and T20Is on the tour.