Morne Morkel's height-generated steep bounce during South Africa's 2013 home series created specific problems for Virat Kohli — targeting the rising ball at his gloves from a good length on seaming, bouncy South African pitches — as part of a wider South African plan to contain India's most dangerous batsman.
Virat Kohli was becoming the world's best batsman by 2013 but had not yet confirmed it in South Africa's challenging conditions — seaming pitches, hostile pace, away from the subcontinent where he was most comfortable.
Morne Morkel was South Africa's second pace bowler behind Steyn — less celebrated but highly effective with his height and bounce. His best delivery rose from back-of-a-length to above shoulder height.
South Africa's captain Graeme Smith and coach Gary Kirsten had developed a specific plan for Kohli: bowl full at first to establish the threat, then switch to back-of-a-length rising deliveries. The combination of Steyn's swing and Morkel's bounce was designed to keep Kohli uncomfortable throughout.
In 2013, South Africa hosted India with the explicit plan of targeting Virat Kohli with short-pitched bowling to exploit his slight vulnerability to the ball rising at his body on seaming tracks outside the subcontinent. Morne Morkel, at 6ft 5 with a high-action delivery, generated bounce that exceeded what Kohli typically faced in India. Combined with Dale Steyn's outswing, the plan was designed to suppress Kohli before he established himself. Kohli averaged 46.5 in the series — good but below his best — with Morkel and Steyn the consistent difficulties. South Africa won 1-0.
Johannesburg: Morkel's first spell at Kohli — three consecutive deliveries rising above shoulder height
Kohli fends one delivery to gully — caught for 29; Morkel celebrates with raised fist
Second Test: Kohli plays more cautiously against Morkel — 46 runs but below pressure throughout
Steyn and Morkel's combination proves too demanding across both Tests
South Africa win 1-0; Kohli unable to produce his world-class numbers in these conditions
2013-12-18
Johannesburg: Morkel dismisses Kohli with steep bounce
2013-12-26
Durban: Morkel maintains plan; Kohli below best
2013-12-30
Series: South Africa win 1-0; Kohli 46.5 average — below his typical standard
“Kohli is a brilliant player but on our surfaces he had challenges against the steep bounce. We exploited that as a team — it wasn't one bowler's plan alone.”
“South Africa in 2013 was a difficult series. Morkel's bounce and Steyn's swing — you had to earn every run. I learned a lot from that tour.”
Kohli addressed the short-ball vulnerability specifically after this series. His subsequent tours to South Africa in 2018 and beyond showed significantly improved technique against the rising ball. The 2013 series was acknowledged as a formative challenge he needed to overcome.
Morkel retired in 2018. His understated excellence — 309 Test wickets at 27.66 — was often overshadowed by Steyn's individual brilliance but no less important to South Africa's decade of dominance.
South Africa's combined pace plan worked in the aggregate — containing Kohli below his peak while South Africa's batting proved superior. Morkel's specific contribution was to make the bouncer a constant threat, forcing Kohli to play rather than leave balls that normally he could ignore.
The 2013 India-South Africa series was Kohli's last significant failure in challenging overseas conditions before he systematically addressed every technical gap. His evolution from a batsman who struggled away from the subcontinent to one who scored heavily everywhere was partly precipitated by the Morkel-Steyn experience.
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