CAPE TOWN: India captain Virat Kohli said on Saturday that his Indian team had the ability to gain a first series win in South Africa.
“We have the right kind of bowling attack and the right kind of balance to win Test matches in any conditions we play in,” he said at the Indian team’s arrival press conference.
The first of the three Test matches starts at Newlands on Friday.
Kohli baulked, though, when it was suggested his team had a chance to make history.
“For us it is about winning sessions, being in the present, executing our skills well, not looking at the history of a particular country we are playing in.”
With 13 of his 17-man squad veterans of India’s 2013/14 tour, Kohli said there was plenty of experience.
“A lot of our players have played here before. But it’s about the number of games we had played then and the number we have played now,” said Kohli. “We all understand our own games so much better. As a team we have confidence in our personal skills set.”
Kohli said team spirit was the outstanding feature of the touring party. “There’s a sense of intelligence and awareness and that provides the excitement. We know exactly what we need to do come game time. We know how to win Test matches.”
Kohli said India had made the right decision to cancel a scheduled two-day warm-up match, opting instead for intensive middle-wicket practice at a local club.
“There’s no point in wasting two days, guys going in and scoring quick fifties,” said Kohli. “We’d rather have them do two sessions like today. We can try and prepare the wickets the way we want them. If you are playing a game there is no room to change the wicket. Here you have the freedom to put more water on the wicket, roll it and make it harder so that tomorrow we have the conditions we want.”
Kohli said his players expected to be challenged by South Africa’s fast bowlers on pitches with pace and bounce but they were confident in their own ability.
“Come the fifth of January we will be ready for it,” he said.
Coach Ravi Shastri said: “This team is up for the challenge. If you had asked me four years ago I would have said no. But this team has gained in experience. The beauty of this team is that it doesn’t matter which opposition. We look at the pitch and adapt to the conditions. Every game is a home game. It’s as simple as that.”
Shastri added: “This will be a contest. I can sense our players want this Test match to start as soon as possible.”
We’re ready for South Africa, says Virat Kohli
We’re ready for South Africa, says Virat Kohli
Morocco part company with coach Regragui as World Cup looms
RABAT: Morocco parted company with coach Walid Regragui on Thursday, three months before the World Cup, with the country’s football federation naming Mohamed Ouahbi as his replacement.
Regragui leaves despite having led the Atlas Lions to the World Cup semifinals in 2022 and to the final of the Africa Cup of Nations at the beginning of this year.
“I leave my post with loyalty, gratitude, and the certainty that I have served my country,” he declared during a ceremony broadcast live on television, confirming weeks of persistent rumors that he was on his way out.
Ouahbi, 49, is promoted to the role having overseen Morocco’s triumph at the Under-20 World Cup in October, with the federation describing the move as “a strategic transition” in the run-up to the World Cup in North America in June and July.
“It’s a desire not to waste time and to take a different direction,” a source close to the Moroccan Federation told AFP.
“By appointing Mohamed Ouahbi and welcoming top-tier reinforcements, we are raising our standards and our demands,” the source said.
Morocco will be in Group C at the World Cup along with five-time winners Brazil, Scotland and Haiti.
They begin their campaign against Brazil at the MetLife Stadium just outside New York City on June 13 and will be hoping to make a big impression at the tournament before co-hosting the 2030 edition with Spain and Portugal.
“Our ambition is to consolidate our place among the best nations in a sustainable way and to perform well from this summer, as well as in 2030,” the leader of the Moroccan federation, Fouzi Lekjaa, said recently.
Regragui was hailed in 2022 after Morocco became the first African nation in World Cup history to reach the semifinals, beating Spain and Portugal along the way.
However, Regragui likely paid the ultimate price for the manner in which Morocco lost the recent AFCON final to Senegal.
His team were beaten 1-0 after extra-time at the end of a match marred by the Senegal team’s decision to walk off the pitch in protest at the award of a controversial late penalty to the hosts.
The penalty award with the game goalless sparked trouble in the crowd involving Senegal fans, 18 of whom were jailed following the disruption.
Real Madrid star Brahim Diaz eventually took the penalty after a long delay but his kick was saved and Senegal went on to win the game.
