"Virat Kohli is the only player whose average in South Africa is close to his career average" - Aakash Chopra on India's batting issues in SA
Aakash Chopra feels India's batters must deliver the goods if they harbor hopes of winning a maiden Test series in South Africa. He pointed out that Virat Kohli is the only Indian batter to have performed consistently on previous tours of the Rainbow Nation.
India will face the Proteas in two Tests, with the first game starting in Centurion on Tuesday. The visitors' batting will revolve around Kohli, who averages a healthy 51.35 in seven Tests in South Africa.
While previewing the first Test in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra highlighted India's past batting travails in South Africa, with Kohli being their only batter to deliver to his standards. He elaborated (1:20):
"You might have a question in your mind as to why we are unable to win here. According to me, the main reason is that these are the most difficult conditions for batting across the globe, where the ball seams, swings and bounces."
The former India opener added:
"When you see this team, Virat Kohli is the only player whose average in South Africa is close to his career average. Everyone else's averages plummet when they go to South Africa. In fact, the entire South African team also has extremely ordinary averages in Test cricket. So Virat Kohli is shining bright."
Kohli's average of 51.35 while scoring 719 runs in seven Tests in South Africa is better than his career average of 49.29. While Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer have never played a Test in South Africa, Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul average 15.38 and 25.60 respectively in South African conditions.
"The opposing team's bowling is good for these conditions" - Aakash Chopra says the onus will be on India's batters
![Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma will likely open for India in the first Test against South Africa. [P/C: X]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/12/ed0f8-17035618282931-1920.jpg?w=500)
Aakash Chopra feels India's batting will be challenged more than their bowling in the Test series against South Africa. He reasoned (4:25):
"I think bowling will still stand up and get counted because the conditions are good for bowling and the opposing team too does not have that much might in batting. However, batting will have to score runs because the opposing team's bowling is good for these conditions."
The reputed commentator is optimistic about India's chances if they can post a decent total on the board. He said:
"So they are going to challenge you. If India can score 350-400 runs, they can get close to creating history. If we look at South Africa, the batting is extremely inexperienced. They are not a team that will score 500 against your bowling attack."
Chopra concluded by reiterating that while he expects the Indian bowlers to do the job, the batters need to rise to the occasion for Rohit Sharma and company to emerge triumphant in South Africa.