On the eve of the first Test of the two-match series between South Africa and India, visiting captain Rohit Sharma addressed the media and fielded some questions. The first Test will be played in Centurion from December 26 and the second and final Test will be played in Cape Town from January 3.
India has never won a Test series in South Africa and it remains their final frontier. India has, however, won four Test matches here since 2006. This will be the first Rohit Sharma will be captaining India in South Africa in Tests.
“Very important Test series. We have never won a series here. It's a big opportunity for us. We came close the last two times. That gives us a lot of excitement and encouragement to do our best. Our seamers have done well in Australia, England, and South Africa. The seamers have to pull their weight in. Shami will be a big miss,” Rohit Sharma said during the presser.
“We have never won a series here and it'll be a big thing if we do it here. I don't know whether it'll be able to take away the pain of World Cup defeat. If we are able to achieve it then it'll be a good thing. Itna mehnat kiya hai toh kuch toh kitna banta hai (Since we have worked so hard, we derserve this at least),” he added.
He talked about the challenge of batting in South Africa during the presser.
“That's a challenge. When we went to Australia, England, and South Africa it was a challenge. For them, who are coming for the first time, it'll be a challenge. The bowlers dominate here a lot. The lateral movement the seamers get. The wickets get difficult later on as the cracks open and invariable bounce. It'll be nice for all of us to put our hands up for the challenge," said Rohit Sharma.
However, it remains to be seen whether India goes with three pacers and 2 spinners or three pacers, one pace all-rounder, and one spinner combination in the first Test in Centurion. The SuperSport Park wicket usually assists fast bowlers and the Indian playing Xi will be an interesting one.
"Every bowler will have a huge role to play. Sometimes for the spinners, the role could be to contain. The conditions help the seamers here. We have got two experienced spinners and they know what we require of them,” Rohit added.
(RevSportz/ NDTV inputs)
