India vs South Africa: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli sweat it out at nets ahead of Boxing Day Test

More than a month since India’s heartbreaking loss to Australia in the final of the 2023 ODI World Cup in Ahmedabad, a majority of India’s senior players are set to return to the international fold. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have not played for India since that defeat, but the duo are set to return for the two-match Test series against South Africa, starting with the Boxing Day Test in Centurion from Tuesday. Kohli was reportedly in London last week but rejoined the Indian squad on Saturday after the completion of the pre-approved trip. As a result of this, Kohli had missed taking part in a three-day intra-squad game in Pretoria recently while Rohit took part in it.

Test Match Mode 🔛#TeamIndia batters are geared up for the Boxing Day Test 😎#SAvIND pic.twitter.com/Mvkvet6Ed9

— BCCI (@BCCI) December 25, 2023

On Sunday, the entire Indian team had their first practice session at Centurion’s SuperSport Park, and one of the notable moments of the session was a hug between skipper Rohit and Kohli. India are yet to win a Test series in South Africa in 31 years of touring the country but come the Test series, Rohit and Kohli could prove vital for Team India. Rohit and Jaiswal took part in the nets first up, and by taking turns, they faced Jasprit Bumrah and Shardul Thakur each for five deliveries. During Rohit’s first stint at the nets, Kohli came up and had a chat with head coach Rahul Dravid while also watching Rohit’s batting. Rohit also played the role of a mentor, keeping a close eye on Yashasvi Jaiswal’s batting and having conversations with the youngster regarding his playing technique. The likes of Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer followed a unique training practice technique. The top-order batters faced throwdown specialists from the 18-yard space for close to an hour in a bid to get adapted to the pace and bounce of the conditions in South Africa. The first Test in Centurion that starts on 26 December will be followed by the second Test in Capre Town that starts from 3 January.