The Mumbai school batsman has been a vital part of India’s limited-overs team but has failed to replicate his limited-overs success in Test match cricket.
South Africa's Andile Phehlukwayo (R) celebrates after he dismissed India's Rohit Sharma (L) during the second Twenty20 international cricket match of a three-match series between India and South Africa at Punjab Cricket Association Stadium in Mohali on September 18, 2019. (Photo by Sajjad HUSSAIN / AFP)
Star India batsman Rohit Sharma wasted an opportunity to make his mark as an opener ahead of the home Test series against South Africa. He was in fact dismissed for a duck on the final day of the practice match between Board President XI and South Africa.
Rohit Sharma opened the innings along with Mayank Agarwal for the first time in red-ball cricket and did not trouble the scorers as he soon fell prey to right-arm pace bowler Vernon Philander.
The Mumbai school batsman has been a vital part of India’s limited-overs team but has failed to replicate his limited-overs success in Test match cricket. He has played most of his red-ball cricket as a middle-order batsman while his limited-overs career took off only when he started opening for the Indian team.
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The Indian team management has thus backed Rohit to open the innings instead of a struggling KL Rahul and this was the only practice game ahead of the three-Test series against South Africa beginning 2 October in Visakhapatnam. The 32-year-old has played 27 Tests for India and scored 1585 runs, including three hundred and 10 half-centuries.
Earlier in the day, South Africa resumed their innings from 279/6 with opener Aiden Markram top-scoring for them with a century. Temba Bavuma was the next highest scorer with 87.
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