Former Indian batter Sanjay Manjrekar showered praise on Virat Kohli, stating he has been batting like himself in the ongoing series against South Africa. Kohli scored a vital knock of 46 runs on the opening day of the second Test match at Newlands, Cape Town.

The talisman played with an aggressive approach as he scored with a strike rate of 77.97 with the help of six fours and one six. Kohli has scored 160 runs in three innings of the ongoing series at an average of 53.33 and a strike rate of 78.05.

Kohli has been India’s leading run-scorer in the ongoing Test series and he also delivered in the opening Test, which India lost by an innings and 32 runs. In the previous tour of South Africa, Kohli had a paltry strike rate of 34 and he has been able to turn the tables in the ongoing tour.

“That is Virat Kohli being Virat Kohli. And I think the last tour to South Africa Virat Kohli was not batting like Virat Kohli. But, I mean, just imagine he ended the series with the strike rate of 34 which is, you know, so there was a lot going on in his mind. In this series, he’s looked good, he looked decisive. So this is Virat Kohli being Virat Kohli, just clearer in mind,” Sanjay Manjrekar said on Star Sports after the first day’s play.

Meanwhile, Kohli is once again going to hold the key in the second innings of the ongoing second Test. India posted 153 in the first innings after South Africa was skittled out for a paltry score of 55 runs, their lowest Test score against India.

At the end of the opening day’s play, South Africa were 62-3, trailing India by 36 runs with Aiden Markram and David Bedingham unbeaten at the crease.