‘Back to Test cricket’ - Virat Kohli gears up ahead of second Test against New Zealand

Skipper Virat Kohli looks like a man on a mission as he gears up for the second and final Test against New Zealand, starting from Friday (December 3) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The 33-year-old was rested for the first fixture, which eventually resulted in a draw. As India have won every Test series at home since 2012, Kohli has the onus to extend the streak against the Kiwis.

Meanwhile, Kohli, on Thursday (December 2), took to Twitter and announced his comeback in national colours. “Back to Test cricket,” Kohli wrote alongside a red-heart emoji while a couple of pictures of his in the net session. Needless to mention, the comment section got flooded in no time as fans were delighted seeing the talismanic cricketer get his mojo back.

Notably, Kohli will have a point to prove in this clash as his last international assignment wasn’t pleasant by any means. Team India got out of the league stage of the T20 World Cup 2021, which was Kohli’s last leadership project in the shortest international format. Nevertheless, Test cricket is a different ball game and the 33-year-old would back himself to thrive.

Back to Test cricket ❤️ pic.twitter.com/IgjfuySCWK

— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) December 2, 2021

Practicing without cameras around makes a lot of difference: Virat Kohli

It has to be noted that Kohli slammed his last international ton more than two years ago. Hence, fans would also expect the star cricketer to end the drought in Mumbai. Meanwhile, Kohli was training with former Indian batting coach Sanjay Bangar during his off-time. Speaking of the same, the veteran said his experience of practicing without the camera around was fruitful.

“From my personal experience, I can tell you that practising in an environment where you were not in a structured environment and there weren’t 50 cameras trained at you… we could do that previously, we would have windows where you could step aside and individually work on your game or take some time off where you are not doing the same thing every day. That makes a lot of difference,” Kohli told media on the eve of the game.

With Kohli coming back in the picture, the biggest question is, who’ll make space for the skipper. Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane and Shreyas Iyer formed India’s middle-order in the previous game. Had Iyer not scored a century and backed it up with a half-century on Test debut, he was certain to go out. However, now that the youngster has showcased his brilliance, one of the senior pros might face the axe.