On Sunday, Team India took a rest day in South Africa. This break was before the Boxing Day Test. The match is on December 26 at SuperSport Park, Centurion.
The guests were spotted posing for photos at what seemed to be a zoo entrance in a photo posted on X (previously Twitter).
Members of the squad included the Indian Captain, Rohit Sharma, with his wife Ritika Sajdeh and daughter Samaira, along with Shreyas Iyer, and bowler Jasprit Bumrah. In addition, there were coaches Rahul Dravid, Paras Mhambrey, and Vikram Rathour.
Team India enjoying the break day in South Africa. pic.twitter.com/lbxOSkzNbD
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) December 24, 2023
After a deserved rest, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Jasprit Bumrah returned. During their break, Suryakumar Yadav and KL Rahul temporarily took command. They led the Men in Blue in a T20I, with a balanced 1-1 score, and in an ODI in South Africa, where they emerged victorious by 2-1.
The team, now guests on foreign soil, aim for victory. They yearn to secure their debut Test series triumph in South Africa, after a heart-breaking 1-2 loss during their 2021-22 tour, despite their initial victory.
Gautam Gambhir predicts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to excel for India in batting-friendly SA conditions
Ex-India cricket player, Gautam Gambhir, believes Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli must step up for a Test series win in South Africa. The now commentator stated South Africa’s fast bowlers are a formidable challenge to India’s batsmen. He shared this information recently on Star Sports:
“I believe the pressure will be on Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli because they have that experience. Bowlers definitely win you the series in SA but if your batters don’t put runs on the board, you won’t be able to create pressure for your bowlers.”
Gautam Gambhir
He added:
“Pace, bounce and seam. I believe your batting will definitely be under pressure because SA probably do not have the same batting they had in 2011 but their bowling still has the might – (Kagiso) Rabada, (Gerald) Coetzee, (Nandre) Burger and Marco Jansen.”
Gautam Gambhir
In addition, Gambhir thinks that without the injured Mohammed Shami, the bowling unit would be put to the test. He declared:
“The bowling will be under as much pressure because there will be expectations from bowling. If Mohammed Shami had been there, India would have been all-out favorites. Mohammed Siraj is still young. So, I believe your bowling will be tested as much as your batting.”
Gautam Gambhir
When cricketing in South Africa, Kohli and Sharma show differing performance histories. Kohli raked in 719 runs across seven Tests, averaging 51.36, with two centuries and three fifties. Comparatively, Sharma’s contributions were smaller. He scored just 123 runs in three Tests, averaging 15.38, without even a single fifty.