Watch: How Virat Kohli left Kagiso Rabada with his tail between his legs

Kohli scored 46 not out to lead India to a thumping win. (File Photo: PTI)

Doggedness is an essential pre-requisite to becoming a world-class batsman and on Sunday Virat Kohli showed he has plenty of that trait.

Defending a paltry 118 in the second ODI at Centurion, the Proteas fast bowlers needed to do something special to make a match of it, and they decided to pepper the Indian batsmen with bouncers probably going by their age-old reputation.

To some extent, it worked as opener Rohit Sharma hooked Kagiso Rabada awkwardly to find Morne Morkel at deep fine-leg. Encouraged by that, Rabada fired on all cylinders and tried the same tactics on Kohli.

With the penultimate ball of the eighth over - a bouncer, Rabada managed to hurt Kohli as the ball came off his bat to hit him in the abdomen area. Kohli winced in pain and needed some time to get his breath back.

Smelling blood, Rabada ran in and once again bent his back but this time Kohli made up for the previous failure and hooked the lanky bowler for a six. A statement of intent, by all means. Watch the encounter between Kohli and Rabada here.

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Kohli went on to make 46 not out as India galloped to a nine-wicket victory in 20.3 overs and the Indian captain proved for the nth time that he was made of sterner stuff and that intimidation tactics would never work against him.