Cricket Live Line

1st Test vs. South Africa Aakash Chopra on India's batting collapse

Former cricketer of Team India Aakash Chopra feels Rohit Sharma continuing his dismal run against Kagiso Rabada put paid to India's hopes of staging a fightback in the first Test against South Africa.

Rabada bowled Rohit for a duck as the hosts bundled out the visitors for 131 in their second inning to complete a comprehensive inning and 32-run win in Centurion on Thursday, December 28. It was the seventh time the Proteas pacer had dismissed the Indian skipper in Test cricket.

Reflecting on India's second-inning collapse in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra pointed out that Rabada's continued domination of Rohit dashed India's hopes of getting off to a good start. He said, "Kagiso Rabada has Rohit Sharma's number in his back pocket; it seems like that. He has dismissed him so many times and gotten him out here as well. It was with a bouncer in the previous inning, and it was a very good ball in this inning. It pitched, went away, and hit the top of off, and Rohit Sharma was out at the start."