Watch: Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma Sweat It Out In Nets Ahead Of 1st Test vs South Africa

24.12.2023 - 16:08 sports.ndtv.com

India's veteran batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli sweated it out in companionable silence in the nets during team's practice session on Sunday.

India will be aiming for their maiden Test series win in South Africa when they take on the Proteas in a two-match series, starting December 26.

There's a 31-year jinx in Indian cricket having missed out on a Test series win in the 'Rainbow Nation' and in the twilight zone of their careers, both Rohit and Kohli would want to achieve which no other Indian teams could.

While Kohli, who came back from London after a short break with family, joined the training after half an hour, Rohit did look a bit more relaxed after shutting himself off for three weeks.

cricket South Africa vs India Test watch Virat Kohli Rohit Sharma South Africa India

India defeated Afghanistan by six wickets in the first T20I encounter in Mohali on Thursday but it was not without controversies as skipper Rohit Sharma was left frustrated after he was dismissed for a duck following a mix-up with opening partner Shubman Gill. Rohit played a delivery from Fazalhaq Farooqi to mid-off and called for a single. However, Gill was watching the ball and did not move resulting in Rohit getting run-out without scoring a single run. The veteran batter was clearly livid at the situation and he was even seen gesturing his frustration to Gill. Former India wicket-keeper batter Parthiv Patel supported Rohit and said that Gill should have trusted his skipper's call and gone for the single.

"If You Can't Pick Them...": Sunil Gavaskar Has A New Role For Virat Kohli And Rohit Sharma

A lot of debate took place over Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's possible inclusion in the T20 World Cup 2024 squad but a return to T20I cricket after 14 months in the series against Afghanistan has possibly provided a sneak peek at what the Indian cricket team selectors are planning for the future. Both Rohit and Virat will be making their return to the shortest format of the sport after last playing in November 2022. While questions still remain over their T20 World Cup selection, Sunil Gavaskar backed both of them to make the cut even if they have an ordinary Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 campaign.

India's Predicted XI vs Afghanistan, 1st T20I: Who Will Take Virat Kohli's Place?

Team India will be squaring off against Afghanistan in the first T20I of the three-match series on Thursday in Mohali. Skipper Rohit Sharma, who will be playing first T20I match since World Cup 2022, will be leading the side. However, star batter Virat Kohli, who was also returning to the shortest format along with Rohit, pulled out of the first game, due to personal reasons. Apart from this duo, this series will also mark a comeback of wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson in T20I cricket.

On Virat Kohli And Rohit Sharma Playing In T20 World Cup 2024, Sourav Ganguly's 'Outstanding ' Take

Former captain Sourav Ganguly on Sunday backed stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to feature in India's squad for the T20I World Cup in June. The duo, who have not featured in any T20I for about 14 months, have made themselves available for the sport's shortest format, and it remains to be seen if they are picked for the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan, beginning January 11 in Mohali. "Of course Rohit should captain the team in the T20I World Cup. Virat Kohli also should be there. Virat Kohli is an outstanding player, nothing will happen (to return after 14 months)," Ganguly added.

Watch: Fans Take Selfies As Rohit Sharma Looks Uber Cool On Return From South Africa

India beat South Africa by seven wickets despite a stunning century by Aiden Markram on the second day of the second Test at Newlands on Thursday. The win helped the side level the two-match series 1-1. This was only the second time that India managed to draw a Test series in the Rainbow Nation. They have played a total of nine Test series in South Africa and lost seven of them. The comeback victory on Thursday, however, did give a big boost to the Indian players' confidence.

"Made Mistakes In...": Rohit Sharma Faces Criticism Over Poor Captaincy On South Africa Tour

After the completion of the India vs South Africa series on Thursday, former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar pointed out skipper Rohit Sharma's mistakes while leading the visitors and said that once one loses a moment, then they lose the game. While speaking to ESPNcricinfo, Manjrekar said that the 36-year-old skipper made mistakes in both Tests. He added that it cost the visitors during the first Test match. "In Test cricket if you lose moments, you lose the game. Rohit made mistakes in both Tests and while it cost us massively in the first game, thankfully Siraj had given allowance for the second Test. Siraj bowling just one over when Markram was scoring and the lead swelled to 60 was a mistake," Manjrekar told ESPNcricinfo.