Gautam Gambhir emphasises Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to hold key to India's batting success in South Africa

As the much-anticipated Test series between India and South Africa inches closer, former India cricketer Gautam Gambhir has weighed in on the looming challenge for the Indian batting lineup. With the first game set to commence on December 26 in Centurion, Gambhir believes India's batting unit will confront a stern examination due to the expected pace and bounce on South African pitches. 

Highlighting the significance of experienced campaigners Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, the southpaw stressed their pivotal roles in steering India's batting charge. He emphasised the pressure on India, citing the transformation in South Africa's batting prowess since 2011. Gambhir highlighted the hosts' comparative lack of a formidable batting arsenal, intensifying the responsibility on Sharma and Kohli to lead the charge and maintain composure in the face of the home team's bowling artillery.

"Pace, bounce and seam. I believe your batting will definitely be under pressure because South Africa probably do not have the same batting they had in 2011 but their bowling still has the might - (Kagiso) Rabada, (Gerald) Coetzee, (Nandre) Burger and Marco Jansen," Gambhir said during a discussion on Star Sports.

"I believe the pressure will be on Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli because they have that experience. Bowlers definitely win you the series in South Africa but if your batters don't put runs on the board, you won't be able to create pressure for your bowlers," he added.

India’s bowling unit under scrutiny in Shami’s absence 

Analysing India's bowling lineup, the former India opener, noted Mohammed Shami's absence, emphasising a potential lack of experience in the squad. In Shami's void, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj are poised as India's frontline seamers, while Prasidh Krishna and Mukesh Kumar vie for the third seamer slot. Gambhir speculated that Shardul Thakur, alongside either Ravindra Jadeja or Ravichandran Ashwin, will round off the bowling attack, expecting the spinners not to operate simultaneously.

"So don't talk about the batting only, the bowling will be under as much pressure, because there will be expectations from bowling. If Mohammed Shami had been there, India would have been all-out favorites. Mohammed Siraj is still young. So I believe your bowling will be tested as much as your batting," he concluded.