In a recent interview, former South African captain Faf du Plessis expressed his belief that Virat Kohli is on the verge of a comeback after a tough time during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. Despite scoring only 190 runs at an average of 23.75 in five Tests, Kohli remains a formidable batsman according to Du Plessis. The South African also commented on the personal nature of retirement decisions, stating, “No one can speak to you about when that time is up as a player, you’ll know.”
Du Plessis, who played alongside Kohli at Royal Challengers Bangalore, emphasized Kohli’s motivation and experience in overcoming challenges. “I know someone like him is super super motivated, he’s gone through it all before, so he knows exactly what to do,” said Du Plessis.
Reflecting on his own retirement from Test Cricket, Du Plessis shared his experience of recognizing when it was time to step aside. “Every player needs to answer that question. I remember when that time was for me,” he recalled. “I just knew that certainly from the Test cricket perspective for me. I didn’t have that same hunger and drive anymore and I felt that that stage certainly for me was a good time to let new guys come in.”
When asked about the possibility of a two-tier Test system, Du Plessis expressed concern for the health of the game. “We need the game to be healthy,” he insisted. “When you look at the other teams, there are two Test matches here and there and playing six Test matches a season. I do not think that is healthy for the game.”
Switching gears to the upcoming World Test Championship final between South Africa and Australia, spinner Keshav Maharaj lauded his team’s consistency and unity. “If you look at our Test unit, not many people would have afforded us the opportunity of making the final, but we’ve been phenomenal from a consistency point of view,” Maharaj stated.
While acknowledging the challenge posed by defending champions Australia, Maharaj remained optimistic about South Africa’s chances. “As a unit, the cricket that we have played, we deserve to go and raise a trophy,” he said. “But we are against formidable opponents, hopefully, we will come up on the right side of things.”
In conclusion, the stage is set for an intense battle in the World Test Championship final, with both South Africa and Australia striving for the prestigious title. The cricketing world eagerly awaits to see which team will emerge victorious in this highly anticipated clash.
