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As the Indian team gears up for the two-match Test series against South Africa starting on December 26 at the SuperSport Park in Centurion, former cricketer and commentator Sunil Gavaskar contends that the Indian side holds the upper hand with experienced batters over the Proteas bowlers.
Following their 2-1 victory in the ODI series against South Africa, the Indian team, led by Rohit Sharma, is set for their first Test match. Gavaskar expressed confidence in the experienced Indian batting lineup, which includes the comeback of senior players such as Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Jasprit Bumrah.
“They are experienced batters, who are coming after playing everywhere, so I expect them to score lots of runs in these two Test matches. Not only because they have got so much talent, but this time around, I think the South African attack does not have that edge,” Gavaskar shared with Star Sports.
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Sunil Gavaskar highlighted the potential challenges for the Proteas, emphasizing the absence of key players like Anrich Nortje and the likely unavailability of Kagiso Rabada, suggesting that the South African bowling attack might lack the necessary experience.
Also Read: Shreyanka Patil, Mannat Kashyap, Saika Ishaque, and Titas Sadhu in India’s ODI Squad
“With the absence of Nortje, with the likely absence of Rabada and Lungi Ngidi, the South African attack looks a little bit short on experience, I am not saying short of class. So I feel these two batters will score lots of runs and help the Indian team post a big score,” Gavaskar added.
Before the commencement of the Test series, Gavaskar also discussed the mental state of Rohit Sharma as captain. Acknowledging Rohit’s aggressive style in ODIs, Sunil Gavaskar suggested a shift in approach for Test cricket, emphasizing the need for batting throughout the day.
“First and foremost, the challenge would be to get your mental state into a test match situation. He has been batting in the ODI format where he had decided that he was going to be playing the attacking role and try and score as many runs as possible in the first 10 overs of field restrictions,” Gavaskar said.
“He will have to change the approach completely for Test cricket because he will have to think in terms of batting the whole day. If he bats the whole day, then, clearly with the range of shots that he has got, he will be able to end up with 180 or 190 not out at the end of the day and India will be 300-plus,” he added.
-IANS
