Mohammad Siraj to miss 3rd Test at Cape Town, Virat Kohli set to play his 99th Test

Kohli said he is feeling fully fit but he ruled out pacer Mohammad Siraj from the third Test as he is yet to recover from a hamstring injury that he suffered during the second Test at Johannesburg.

“I’m absolutely fit. Siraj is still recovering, I don’t think he’s match ready yet and I don’t think we can take the risk of playing a pacer who isn’t 110% fit,” said Kohli during the pre-match press conference.

However, Kohli did not reveal the replacement of Siraj but it is expected that India will pick either Ishant Sharma or Umesh Yadav for the Cape Town Test.

“We are yet to decide Siraj’s replacement for the third Test. I will have a discussion with the coach and vice-captain. But I’m glad to be in this position where there are so many choices at our disposal,” he added.

Kohli himself had missed the second Test at the Wanderers due to an upper back spasm. Kohli said he felt guilty of missing a Test match.

“When you miss a Test you almost feel guilty and think ‘how could I get injured’. It can happen when you play for so long.

“At times It can be taken for granted that this player will play every game. But such sudden injuries remind you to treat yourself as a human,” said Kohli, who is set to play his 99th Test at Cape Town.

However, Kohli was not worried over the fact that he has not scored a hundred in a little over two years, and said such things are part of the game.

“This is not the first time that people have talked about my form, it has happened a few times in my career. England in 2014 was one of those phases.

“I do not kind of look at myself from the lens the outside world looks at me with. The standards have been set by me myself, they are not an occurrence from the outside world, and more than anyone else, I take a lot of pride in doing the best for the team and wanting to perform for the team regularly,” said Kohli.