Star batsman AB de Villiers on Sunday said he was aware of India skipper Virat Kohli’s determination to register a series win in South Africa, ESPNcricinfo reported.
Speaking to reporters, the former South Africa captain added that his team would be preparing for the challenge accordingly.
“I’d say Virat Kohli is one of the best captains at the moment, the most improved – there’s a big change from when I first saw him captaining to now.”
“We know all about him, how determined he is as captain; he’ll definitely come here trying to win and to make history,” De Villiers said. “We are well aware of that and we’ll prepare accordingly. Hopefully play some good cricket in the summer,” he added.
In six visits, India have never won a series in South Africa. Despite the odds, the 33-year-old acknowledged that the current set of India players had performed better than other Indian sides to have visited the African nation in the 90s.
“I’m very excited that they are going to be touring in South Africa. I haven’t played against India for a while now, so it’s going to be a really good series,” said De Villiers.
“They’ve played a lot better in our conditions over the last few series we’ve played here compared to the 90s. They are a team that’s young and determined,” he added.
During the series, what will also be at stake in the numero uno spot on ICC Test standings. De Villers stated that his team would want to surpass their opposition to seal the spot.
“We’d like to be No 1 in the world, we are not far away. We know if we win a few series in the next two or three months against very tough oppositions, we can achieve that. We’ll take it one step at a time and hopefully achieve that. Obviously, that will be nice, to be that No 1 team in the world again and to maintain it for a few years,” he said.
De Villers is returning to the longest format of the game after over a year on the sidelines. The draining cricket calendar and spate of injuries have worn him down, but he is now ready to make a comeback. The right-hand batsman has been included in South Africa’s squad for the upcoming four-day pink ball Test series against Zimbabwe, said he was back in shape to compete in the longest format of the game.
“I pride myself on the fact that I can adapt to certain conditions, certain formats. I’ve worked really hard at my game in the last six months. I started off at the end of July facing red balls at the University of Pretoria, getting some technical stuff sorted out and I feel more ready than ever to take it on. I have been working for the last six months to get ready for this,” De Villers said.
The first Test between India and South Africa will start on January 5.
