Rohit and Bumrah's addition surprised Faf du Plessis as well

The Indian team’s woeful fortunes in the rainbow nation continued as they slumped to a disappointing defeat in the opening Test at Cape Town. While the Indian batsmen failed to deliver, the bowlers, on the other hand, did some nifty work to provide the Men in Blue a fighting chance. India succumbed to a 72-run defeat and will need something special if they wish to turn the tables.

The Indian team had a couple of surprise additions to the squad for the Cape Town Test. Rohit Sharma was chosen over out-of-form Ajinkya Rahane while young seamer Jasprit Bumrah was handed over his maiden Test debut. Bumrah was selected ahead of seniors like Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav and this decision has left South Africa captain Faf Du Plessis surprised.

Speaking at the post-match conference, the Proteas skipper conceded, “We were surprised yes. We didn’t think that Jasprit Bumrah would have played. We know that he’s done really well in one-day cricket but we were preparing more for the other seamers because they’ve played a lot of Tests,”

He added, “I think the other guy was Rohit Sharma ahead of Ajinkya Rahane. He’s been in a bit of form one-day cricket wise so they’re probably just running with that.”

Rahane has been a lynchpin in India’s batting line-up

A lynchpin in India’s batting line-up at the top of the order, Rahane’s form has been a pressing issue for India ahead of the Protea tour. He has been struggling to put runs on the scoresheet which was visible in the recently concluded Test series against Sri Lanka. Rahane managed a top score of 10 in five outings

The 29-year-old has been one of the most consistent performers for the Men in Blue over the past couple of seasons. Known for his exquisite timing and deft strokeplay, the right-hander has been clinical in providing impetus at the start of the innings. Rahane has a strong record overseas with a mind to tackle difficult conditions and it’s only a matter of time before the star-batsman finds his mojo back.

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