Cape Town: India Test captain Virat Kohli on Monday said he is fit to play but Siraj is not match ready for the third Test against South Africa in Cape Town.
Kohli was ruled out of the second test in Johannesburg due to a back spasm, while Siraj suffered an injury during the second South Africa innings in Johannesburg.
In a virtual press conference held ahead of the match Kohli said: "I'm absolutely fit for the match. Talking about Siraj, he's not up to the mark for tomorrow."
When asked about his back spasm, the batsman said: "The reality of the situation is that we do play a lot of cricket. I take pride in being fit at all times, but you do take a lot of things for granted."
"I have been playing all three formats + IPL since 2012. So, injuries are a natural occurrence," he added.
Speaking about Pant’s dismissal on a duck off Kagiso Rabada in the second innings, the skipper said: "We have had conversations with Rishabh during the practice. We have all committed mistakes in crucial times."
Kohli said Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane’s experience is ‘priceless’ for the team.
"The way Pujara and Rahane batted in the last Test, that experience is priceless for us. I feel transitions do happen but they happen naturally, you can't force them,” he said.
"If you judge with numbers & milestone you won’t be able to perform. I have nothing else to worry about," said Kohli on his performance.
"MS Dhoni once told me that there should be a gap of at least 6-7 months between repeating a mistake then only you can have a long career. This advice really stuck with me,” he added.
The third test between India and South Africa is scheduled to take place at Newlands in Cape Town from January 11-15. (UNI)
