'His go to shot': Sanjay Manjrekar points out Rohit Sharma's Achilles heel in Test format

Rohit Sharma made his much-anticipated comeback to the field during Day 1 of the India vs South Africa 1st Test, only to get dismissed on a meagre score of 5 runs. Known for not sparing any ball with a short length, Sharma's strength in the white-ball format has become a chunk in the armor in Tests. Bowlers tend to set him up with the short ball and often he has taken the bait and held out in the deep. Day 1 of the India vs South Africa 1st Test witnessed a similar dismissal of the Indian captain.

3 things you need to know

• India vs South Africa 1st Test begun on December 26, 2023
• The match is taking place in Centurion
• India are yet to win a Test series in South Africa

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Sanjay Manjrekar on Rohit Sharma's dismissal

Following an exceptional performance in the ICC ODI World Cup 2023, Rohit Sharma's return to action was a much sought-after spectacle. Hitman took his guard at SuperSport Park, in centurion, on Tuesday but his stay was short-lived. Kagiso Rabada banged in short during the 5th over of the innings, and Sharma played his typical air-borne pull to get picked up by Nandre Burger in the deep. Sharma contributed only 5 runs to the board.

Sanjay Manjrekar, who is a part of the commentary panel of the series, laid out his views on the dismissal of Rohit Sharma and said that his favourite short has turned out to become his Achilles heel in the longest format of the game.

“It's interesting that his go to shot, the one shot that he plays in white-ball cricket that puts the opposition on the back foot, has been Rohit Sharma's nemesis in test cricket. In the last two years, he's been out seven times playing the pull shot. But the bowler deserves this as it was a great delivery,” said Manjrekar.

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India vs South Africa 1st Test Day 1: Match Summary

As for the proceedings in the match, disaster struck India in the initial period of the first session. They were three down at the score of 24. Following that Shreyas Iyer and Virat Kohli steadied the innings but the partnership could not last longer than 68. Iyer got out immediately after the lunch, and shortly afterwards Kohli was also sent back by Rabada. Then Shardul Thakur and KL Rahul got together for a brisk 43-run stand. With some useful chip-ins, Team India was able to cross the 200-run mark. Rain interruption brought an end to the day's play and thus, India will start from 208/8 on Day 2. KL Rahul is the last man standing with an unbeaten 70.