Johannesburg What effect could Rohit Sharma’s absence have on India’s chances of winning the three match Test series against South Africa?
It is a massive blow, given the 34 year old’s form this year. He is second only to the England captain Joe Root on the list of leading run-scorers in the Test format in 2021. Sharma’s aggregate of 906 runs includes two centuries and four fifties, and he’s been critical to India winning seven out of the 13 Tests they’ve played this year.
By contrast, Virat Kohli’s having a poor year when measured against the staggeringly high standards he has set for himself. He’s scored just 483 runs in 17 Test innings and somewhat alarmingly his last Test century came over two years ago.
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While Sharma’s Test career has taken off following his elevation to the opening berth, Kohli’s output with the bat has diminished in the same period. Given Sharma’s 2021 form, he’d have been an important cog in India’s wheel on South African pitches, which given where the first two Tests are being played, and the amount of rain there’s been around in the Gauteng region recently, may be quite sporty.
One crucial feature of South Africa’s triumph in the 2018 series was getting Kohli to the crease early in the innings. Four times, in those three Tests, Kohli came to the crease inside 10 overs, and on another occasion he was taking guard in the 12th over. While he finished as the series’ leading run-scorer, the bulk of those runs came in the first innings of the second Test, when he made a magnificent 153 at SuperSport Park.
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He was often under pressure, playing against the new ball, and South Africa did enough to unsettle him causing tension for the rest of the batting order, with Sharma not there, it’s a ploy the hosts will likely zone in on again.
Sharma’s absence means the Indians are looking for a new opening partner for Mayank Agawarl, whose 150 and 62 against New Zealand in Mumbai two weeks ago, has most likely secured his spot at the top order for the series.
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The elegant Shubnam Gill misses the tour due to injury, and it appears the Indians will weigh up three options to partner Agarwal. Priyank Panchal, who replaced Sharma in the squad, is one, with his recent experience of South African conditions while playing for India A, a tick next to his name, while KL Rahul’s probably the favourite given his greater Test experience. Hanuma Vihari, has also opened for India in Australia previously and provides an extra option.
India remain the stronger looking batting unit heading into the series even with Sharma not playing. Cheteshwar Pujara and Rishabh Pant are among the top 10 run scorers in 2021. For Kohli, maybe Sharma’s absence proves to be a blessing in disguise as far as India’s captain is concerned.
The dominant run-scorer of 2016, ‘17’ and ‘18 has been subdued in recent years, just as Sharma has taken off. Given the magnitude of what’s at stake in the series for India - a first Test series win in South Africa - it should surprise no one if the side’s captain suddenly finds some form again.
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