Razeen Gutta
Ukaputeni we-India uVirat Kohli uqinisekise esithangamini nabezindaba ukuthi uzobe esekulungele ukudlala umdlalo wokugcina neNingizimu Afrika e-Newlands kuleli sonto.
Ama-Proteas awakaze ahlulwe i-India emidlalweni yase-Newlands.
Kodwa kubonakala sengathi ligaya ngomunye umhlathi kulokhu njengoba womabili la mazwe ephule irekhodi kulo mqhudelwano. Iqembu lasekhaya ligcine liwinile e-Wanderers emdlalweni wokugcina ngemuva kokuba i-India ibashaye okokuqala e-Centurion.
Abadlali be-India bazosizakala kakhulu ngokubuya kukaKohli eqenjini ngemuva kokuphuthelwa uhambo oluya eGoli ngenxa yokulimala. Kodwa-ke mancane amathuba okuthi uMohammed Siraj abonakale njengoba uKohli esebuyile esimweni esikahle sokudlala kulandela ukulimala kwakhe emdlalweni wokugcina.
Ukaputeni waseNingizimu Afrika uDean Elgar ukhulume ngokubuya kuka-Kohli wathi “UVirat uzoletha okuhlukile emdlalweni. Angicabangi ukuthi bengimkhumbule, kodwa iqembu lakhe ngokungangabazeki belimkhumhule.”
“Ungumdlali oseqopheleniwe eliphezulu futhi unamava esikwatini sabo. Ungomunye wabadlali bekhilikithi abahlonishwa kakhulu,” kusho u-Elgar esithangamini nabezindaba.
UKohli ubazi kahle ubunzima abazobhekana nabo neqembu lakhe. Ngemuva kokunqoba emazweni afana ne-Australia neNgilandi, ukunqoba imidlalo yochungechunge eNingizimu Afrika kungaba impumelelo engakaze ibonwe iqembu lase-India.
UKohli uma ebheka emuva ngesikhathi engakabi umqeqeshi weqembu, wakhetha ukubheka nokugxila kulokho osekuzuzwe yiqembu lakhe: “Ngesikhathi ngithatha izintambo njengokaputeni, sasihleli endaweni yesikhombisa emhlabeni. Kodwa asisakucabangi kakhulu lokho ngoba sesihlale esicongweni isikhathi eside.
“Kube ukuzinikela okuhlangene, uthando kanye nokuzimisela kweqembu lonke. Sikubheke ngabomvu ukufika enkundleni nsuku zonke zomdlalo futhi sinethemba lokuthi sizowina ngaphansi kwanoma yisiphi isimo,” kusho uKohli.
Umdlalo uzoqala ngo-10:30 kusasa ekuseni eKapa.