Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli (Photo: Ayush Kumar/Getty Images) Ranchi: It’s all heating up in cold Ranchi. The 0-2 Test series loss to South Africa already seems to be a distant memory as the minds of Indian cricket fans are set to take over their beloved ‘Ro-Ko’ pair. The demand for tickets in MS Dhoni’s hometown is a clear indication of the pull that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli still have. While India will be looking to bounce back in the ODI series after the Test humiliation, all eyes will be on how Rohit and Virat – who now only play in one format – faced the South African attack on Sunday. The duo arrived in Ranchi a day ahead of their teammates and joined the Indian camp for a full training session at the JSCA International Stadium on Friday. However, on Saturday afternoon, both of them, along with most of the other first team players, missed the non-compulsory training session.
Inside the Indian nets in Ranchi: How Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma prepared for first ODI vs South Africa
Returning from a long layoff, Rohit and Virat had tough starts to the Australia series last month before getting it right in Sydney. But at this stage of their careers, they know the scrutiny will always be there, especially as they aim to play the ODI World Cup in September 2027 – still a long way off. However, captain KL Rahul threw his weight behind both the legends. In fact, he is counting on the duo to revive the confidence of a team that has been badly battered after their Test debacle. “Their importance at any moment is huge. Having older players in the team obviously makes the dressing room feel a lot more confident. Just their presence and experience helps the players in the dressing room. We are really happy to have them here,” said Rahul. Meanwhile, Ruturaj Gaikwad was seen having long innings on both days, suggesting he could be the No. 4 in place of the injured Shreyas Iyer. During the pre-match media interaction, Rahul suggested that Gaikwad will definitely get his chance in the series. “Rutu is a top player. With whatever limited opportunities he got, he showed what he can do. Unfortunately in ODIs, the top six are quite balanced and they perform really well. So you feel sorry for the players who don’t get enough opportunities,” said the captain. “I’m looking forward to giving him that chance and letting him show what he can do for the team. There’s never any question about his skills and how good a player he is. It’s just about the right opportunities and the right timing. Hopefully this series will give him that opportunity,” added Rahul. Openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rahul batted against medium pace spinners Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja and Tilak Varma on Saturday. Also missing from practice was Rishabh Pant, who returned to the ODI squad following a leg injury. Reluctant to divulge any details about the team selection, Rahul said, “He (Pant) has been with the team for a long time. Everyone has seen what he brings to the table. But tomorrow you will know who will be left behind. He is good enough to play as a pure batsman, but if he is in the eleven, he will take the gloves and I will be in the field.” As dew will play a major role in the day/night game, winning the toss will be a major factor. This could also give India a bit of a selection dilemma whether to play Nitish Kumar Reddy as an all-rounder or rely on all-rounder Washington Sundar to spin outside the spin.Quinton de Kock’s presence at the top of the order will bolster South Africa’s batting while Matthew Breetzke and Dewald Brevis could be key in the middle. Marco Jansen will be hoping to continue his all-round ability shown in Tests, while Lungi Ngidi could lead the pace bowling for the Proteas. With only one 300-plus score in the previous six ODIs, a score of around 280 par looks here on a wicket that has been on the slower side. And it’s hard for teams to chase 270-280 under the lights. So batting the opposition might be the mantra for both captains, but bowling in the second round might prove to be a tough job where heavy dew plays a major role.
