Gautam Gambhir gives huge piece of advice to Virat Kohli before Test series vs South Africa

Team India is set to lock horns with hosts South Africa in a two-match Test series. The first game of the upcoming series is scheduled to commence on the 26th of December during the Boxing Day festivities. Centurion will host the first game in Cape Town on New Year’s Day.

Ruturaj Gaikwad has already been ruled out of the series due to an injury suffered during the 2nd ODI in Gqeberha. Ishan Kishan is also pulled out of the series due to mental fatigue. KS Bharat, who is in South Africa with India Team has already been named the replacement player.

Fans are eagerly waiting for the return of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. The veteran duo haven’t played cricket since the ODI World Cup 2023 final loss. Former India opener Gautam Gambhir has come up with advice for Virat Kohli for the Test Series.

Gautam Gambhir’s guru mantra for Virat Kohli –

Former Indian opener Gautam Gambhir has suggested Virat Kohli to bat with the same intent he is known for. The 42-year-old was speaking to Star Sports India when he made these comments ahead of the Test Series versus South Africa.

Gautam Gambhir said, “A lot of things will depend on the type of wickets you play on. If the wicket is flat, you will see the same type of batting and strike rate. However, if the wicket is challenging, you don’t want your most prominent player to think about the strike rate and play a shot that gives an opportunity.”

The former India player also said, “It will be in Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s mind that Shreyas Iyer, who is on his 1st tour, will be batting after Virat Kohli, and if KL Rahul plays, he will be playing as a wicket-keeper for the first time. However, I want Virat Kohli to play with the same that he is known for.”

By comparing the various formats of the game, Gambhir said, “I always believe there is no intent in Test Cricket. You play according to the situation, condition, and the bowler’s spell. If a bowler is in good rhythm, you see off that spell as you have an entire day to capitalize. It is not T20 that you have to take a chance even if someone is bowling well”.

Giving the example of Kagiso Rabada, the newly appointed KKR mentor said, “We always talk about scoring runs, but in Test Cricket, if you imagine that Rabada is bowling an exceptional spell and you know that if you see off one more over, Keshav Maharaj or Mulder would come and you could capitalize there, so seeing off that six-over spell is more important for the overall outcome.”