The highly-anticipated two-match Test series between India and South Africa is all set to get underway on December 26 at SuperSport Park in Centurion.

On the eve of the opening Test, India skipper Rohit Sharma addressed a press conference, where he said that the red-ball series win in South Africa will not compensate for the pain caused by the team's defeat in the World Cup 2023 final against Australia last month.

However, Rohit added that they have put a lot of effort in the past few months and deserve to win something.

"We have never won a Test series in South Africa and it'll be a big thing if we do it here. I do not 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 to kuch to chahiye humko," Rohit said in the pre-series presser.

India are yet to win a Test series on South African soil despite touring the country since 1992. The Rohit Sharma-led side will be determined to end the losing streak in the upcoming Test series.

With so much cricket happening these days, Rohit admitted that players have to move on from disappointments quickly.

"The way we played, you expect to go an inch further. Unfortunately, we couldn't do it. That was the hard part. You saw how we managed to play the 10 games."

"We didn't do certain things well in the final and that's why we lost. It is hard but there's so much happening in life, so much cricket, you've got to find the strength. It took me time to come out but you've got to move on," he said.

"We got a lot of encouragement from the outside world and that motivated me personally to get up," Rohit remarked.

(With NDTV Inputs)