Before the Boxing Day Test match between South Africa and India in Centurion, Indian batsmen, especially guys on a comeback, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, pounded the nets with abandon.
The majority of the hitters could be seen making aggressive strokes in both closed and open nets on what seemed to be greenish pitches in a video released by the Board of Control for Cricket (BCCI).
Look it up here:
India will face South Africa in a pair of tests. The Boxing Day Test takes place from December 26-30. The second one happens at Newlands from January 3-7 in 2024.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s stellar Test record in SA
Following their defeat to Australia in the 2023 World Cup final, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are on their first international assignment. Following the World Cup and the white-ball portion of the South African tour, they did not play the five-match Twenty20 International series against Australia.
About their future in ODIs and T20Is, questions still linger. While the latter are more concerned with if their form justifies a spot in the 2024 T20 World Cup squad, the former are more concerned with whether they would want to play till the 2027 World Cup.
In tests, both points are rendered useless. For India to have any chance of winning a series in the Rainbow Nation, the two veteran professionals are almost indispensable in their roles in the longest format.
In South Africa, Virat Kohli’s Test record is among the greatest of any Indian player. The number four hitter has 719 runs at an average of 51.36 in seven games, including two hundreds and three fifties.
In comparison, Rohit’s stats are as follows: 123 runs at 15.38 from four Tests, with no 50+ scores. He batted in the middle order for them, though, and they occurred in the years 2013 and 2018. Rohit Sharma has significantly improved his technique in the past three years since he began opening in Test matches.
This could be his toughest test yet. But, if his performances in Australia and England are a sign, his record might get better in these two Tests.
