Former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar made a bold claim ahead of the test series against South Africa. He said the upcoming two-Test series will be a chance for captain Rohit Sharma to make up for the ICC World Cup 2023 final defeat.

India will take on South Africa in the two-match Test series, starting on December 26. They have not won a series on South African soil and it will be a great opportunity to make history, especially with the talent they have in the team.

After the World Cup, it will be one of the biggest challenges for captain Rohit Sharma. India were extremely dominant in the tournament but faced a disappointing loss in the final that shattered the dreams of many fans.

However, a series win in South Africa can bring a sense of joy among Indian fans as the team is yet to register a Test win there. India has a strong team in this aspect. There is a mix of youth and experience and all eyes will be on captain Rohit Sharma.

This will be the first time that Rohit Sharma will open the innings for South Africa in Tests. Apart from doing the job of opener, he will also have the enormous responsibility of being the captain of the team. He will have to be on top in both if India is to have a chance of winning.

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were really at the peak of their powers in the last 6-8 months – Sunil Gavaskar

Sunil Gavaskar highlighted that Rohit Sharma will have to play a role as he will have to set the tone for the middle order. He said the skipper will be key for India in the Test series. Speaking on Star Sports, he explained:

“Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were really at the peak of their powers in the last 6-8 months. As Jacques Kallis said, Rohit Sharma will be key for India in the Test series. “Rohit Sharma will have an important role to play in setting up the number 3, 4, 5. Whatever happens, this is Rohit Sharma’s chance to make up for the defeat in the World Cup final.”

Jacques Kallis, who was also present during the debate, believes Virat will play an important role in helping India in the Tests. He added that if Rohit Sharma’s men want to win the series, the senior batsman will need to have a good series. He explained:

“I’m sure he will want to have a great series here in South Africa. He’s been in good shape. I think it will play an important role in helping India. If they want to win here, they will have to have a good series.”

Virat Kohli has a great Test record in South Africa. In the 14 innings that he has played on Proteas soil, the batsman had scored 719 runs at an average of 51.36. The batsman also scored two hundred and three fifties.