One-day big hitter Rohit Sharma will stake a claim to become India's first-choice opening Test batsman when they start a series against South Africa on Wednesday looking for a record-breaking win.
Victory in the three-match series would see India break the record of 10 straight home series wins they currently hold with Australia.
Much focus in the first Test in Visakhapatnam will be on the 32-year-old Sharma – a star of India's limited-overs teams as well as skipper of the Mumbai Indians who won this year's Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament.
File image of Indian cricket team. Reuters
Sharma has not been a Test regular, however. The last of his 27 Test caps since 2013 was in Australia last year.
He now has a new chance, replacing the out-of-form KL Rahul, as the opening positions remain a problem for India.
"He has worked so hard and if he gets an opportunity, I am sure he will do well," vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane said of Sharma.
"We all know the quality he has. He is simply special."
The new Sharma experiment has had a disastrous start, however -- he was dismissed for a duck on the second ball he faced in a practice game against the South Africans.
Natural runs
India batting great VVS Laxman said Sharma needs to stick to his natural flair while opening in the longer format.
"If you tweak your natural game too much, then you will not get the results as your mind gets cluttered and you tend to lose your rhythm," said Laxman, a middle-order batsman who was forced to open for India.
"I can admit that my flow was affected when I opened. Rohit is a rhythm-based player and if his touch gets affected, then it will be difficult."
Here's all you need to know about the first Test between India and South Africa:
When is the 1st Test between India and South Africa?
The 1st Test between India and South Africa is from 2nd October to 6th October.
Where is the match being played?
The 1st Test between India and South Africa will be played at Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam.
What time does the match begin?
The day's play begins at 9.30 AM IST with the toss taking place at 9 AM on the first day.
Which TV channels will broadcast the match?
The match will be shown live on TV by Star Sports India Sports Network.
How do I watch online the match online?
The match will be live-streamed on Hotstar. You can also catch live updates on Firstpost.com.
Squads
India
Virat Kohli (capt), Mayank Agarwal, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Shubman Gill
South Africa
Faf du Plessis (capt), Temba Bavuma, Theunis de Bruyn, Quinton de Kock, Dean Elgar, Zubayr Hamza, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Senuran Muthusamy, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Vernon Philander, Dane Piedt, Kagiso Rabada, Rudi Second
With inputs from AFP
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