"If you think 'Oh, I've not played a lot of Test matches. it's not going to help': Rohit on IND star

South Africa defeated India by an innings and 32 runs in the first Test match between the two countries, which took place on December 26 and 28. India, who batted first, scored 245 in their opening innings, with 101 coming from KL Rahul. Following that, South Africa scored a formidable 408 in their opening innings, driven by an exceptional 185 from Dean Elgar. India scored just 131 in their second innings, while Nandre Burger and Marco Jansen of South Africa were outstanding with the ball. Dean Elgar was named Player of the Match for his outstanding batting display. The SuperSport Park Cricket Stadium hosted the game.  

3 things you need to know 

• India lost to South Africa by an innings and 32 runs 
• Dean Elgar was named Player of the Match in the first Test
• The Indian Cricket Team failed to perform at its best level

Also Read: SA beat India by an innings & 32 runs in 1st Test

IND vs SA: Rohit Sharma made a huge statement regarding Prasidh Krishna 

The captain of India, Rohit Sharma, has defended Prasidh Krishna, the fast bowler who was criticised for his underwhelming performance in his first Test match. Sadly, on the third day of the Boxing Day Test, the squad lost to South Africa by an innings and 32 runs.

In the course of the game, debutant Prasidh Krishna and 11-time Test player Shardul Thakur let up 194 runs in 39 overs while taking just two wickets between them. Considering the playing conditions, this poor performance was particularly noticeable in India's second innings. Despite this, Rohit Sharma opted for a more measured strategy and avoided giving out harsh criticism. Despite the two players' relative inexperience, he underlined the mental toughness that is more important in Test cricket than physical expertise.

Despite Prasidh's little experience playing first-class cricket, Rohit highlighted his ability to compete at the highest level. He clarified that the unlucky events of injuries and the absence of some players had an impact on the team's selection, which resulted in the selection of the bowlers who were most appropriate for the current conditions. Furthermore, Rohit made the point that other international teams often use guys with less experience who have proven themselves on the cricket pitch. Speaking to the reporters, Rohit Sharma said: 

"Look, a little bit inexperience, of course, but he has got the tools to come out here and play the game. The bowlers that we have back in India, some of them are injured, some of them are not available. So we try to pick the guys who are available and we see the conditions that we are coming up against and try to pick the bowlers based on that. I completely agree that he has not played a lot of cricket, but there are three guys in their team as well who have not played a lot of cricket; they came here and showed what it takes," 

"More than the work in the legs, I think it is in the mind. How you treat your mind and how you want to play the game is more important. If you keep thinking, 'Oh, I've not played a lot of Test matches, I've not played too many first-class games', it's not going to help. When you get an opportunity, obviously you should be grateful and come out and do the job for the team.

"Prasidh has been with the Indian team. Not around the Test team, but he has played a lot of white-ball cricket for us in the last two or three years, and he has shown that he has got a lot of potential. Obviously, it didn't work out well for him playing his first game, but we all were nervous when we played our first game. He would have been nervous as well. These things happen, but the guy definitely has the game to excel in this particular format. So we are going to back him because he definitely has the potential and he has got a great attitude as well about his game, which probably will hold us in good stead moving forward," 

Also Read: McGregor's reaction to picture alongside Ronaldo

Prasidh Krishna will look to bounce back in the 2nd Test match against South Africa, which starts on January 3rd at Newlands Cricket Ground.