Former cricketer of Team India Aakash Chopra feels Rohit Sharma continuing his dismal run against Kagiso Rabada put paid to India's hopes of staging a fightback in the first Test against South Africa.
Rabada bowled Rohit for a duck as the hosts bundled out the visitors for 131 in their second inning to complete a comprehensive inning and 32-run win in Centurion on Thursday, December 28. It was the seventh time the Proteas pacer had dismissed the Indian skipper in Test cricket.
Reflecting on India's second-inning collapse in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra pointed out that Rabada's continued domination of Rohit dashed India's hopes of getting off to a good start. He said, "Kagiso Rabada has Rohit Sharma's number in his back pocket; it seems like that. He has dismissed him so many times and gotten him out here as well. It was with a bouncer in the previous inning, and it was a very good ball in this inning. It pitched, went away, and hit the top of off, and Rohit Sharma was out at the start."