A three-match Test series between India and South Africa began on Boxing Day in Centurion. India has never won a Test series in South Africa, and this is their best chance to win one, as the Indian team is in top form. Also, South Africa’s recent record at home is poor as they have lost five out of their last eight home Test series. But India has many challenges in the series, and the most significant challenge is the absence of the newly-appointed vice-captain and opening batter, Rohit Sharma.
Rohit Sharma- The dependable opener
Rohit Sharma has evolved as a Test batter after getting a chance to open the innings in Tests. Rohit Sharma hasn’t stopped since then, and he has been the best batter for India in the past 12 months or more. Sharma is a classy batsman who is not only successful at home but also excels in foreign conditions. Sharma has scored 497 runs in 12 innings with an average of 45.18 away from home.
He has played in tricky conditions like Australia and England and has done well with an average of 32.25 and 52.57, respectively. Moreover, Sharma’s experience brings a great deal of stability to his opening partner, which is the reason he has played well with all his opening partners.
India’s opening pair in South Africa
Mayank Agarwal and KL Rahul have played a huge amount of domestic cricket together, and they know each other’s strengths pretty well. But the duo hasn’t been able to perform on the big stage. In five innings they batted together, they managed to score only 86 runs at a poor average of 17.20. They lacked consistency and weren’t able to build a big partnership.
When it comes to away venues, Mayank has a poor record. The numbers he has in Test cricket are impressive, even though they all came on Indian soil. In foreign conditions, he averages a disappointing 27.20 with the highest score of 77. He hasn’t scored a single century, which is a worry for the Indian team going forward into this series.
On the other hand, his Karnataka mate and his opening partner, Rahul, has an amazing record in foreign conditions. Of his six centuries, five of them have come away from home. He has scored 1399 runs at a decent average of 34.12. Rahul has batted pretty impressively in foreign conditions, and in the recently concluded Test series in England, he was one of the top batters for India. His batting skills will be crucial for Team India in South Africa.
Conclusion
It’s vital to have a strong opening partnership in tough conditions in South Africa. Batting away from home has been a struggle for the different opening pairs of the Indian cricket team in recent years. With Sharma out of the series, it becomes even more difficult for India to play well at the top of the order. The opening pair of Rahul and Mayank holds a lot of importance in how they play in the series, and they must give a good start in all the matches. They have to negate the new ball well, which is important in tough batting conditions like in South Africa. Also, Agarwal and Rahul have to play well because of the poor form of the middle order, and if they can build a good partnership at the top of the order in each match, then the Indian team has a good chance to win the series in South Africa.