CAPE TOWN: India captain Virat Kohli on Monday said he will return to the team for the series-deciding third Test against South Africa here as he is “absolutely fit” but ruled out the participation of pacer Mohammed Siraj.
Kohli, who missed the second Test because of an upper back spasm, had nets with the rest of the team at Newlands on Sunday. He batted without any visible discomfort, lunging forward to play the drives.
However, he added that Siraj will not feature in the game after he suffered a hamstring injury in Johannesburg, where India lost by seven wickets.
“Siraj is obviously recovering from the (hamstring) niggle he had in the last game and at present, I don’t think he is match-ready to take the field in the third Test.
“You cannot obviously risk a guy who is not at 110 percent as a fast bowler and we know how important that is as the little niggle he had can extend into an injury,” the skipper said.
“Siraj is not up to the mark,” he added.
—PTI

Press Trust of India