SA vs IND 2024: It’ll be one of our best Test match victories – Rohit Sharma feels Newlands win ‘right up there’ with Gabba

Indian skipper Rohit Sharma has tipped Newlands win against South Africa as one of the team’s best Test match victories. Rohit rated the first win at Newlands on par with the Gabba victory against Australia in the 2020-21 tour.

India had lost the opening Test match against the Proteas by an innings and 32 runs. Thus, they had their backs against the wall but bounced back in style to level the series at Cape Town.

The visitors were able to get themselves ahead in the game after bundling out South Africa for only 55 runs in the first innings. India then took a crucial lead of 98 runs after scoring 153 runs and skittled out the hosts at 176 runs in the second essay.

Mohammed Siraj was the star of the show in the first dig, returning with 6-15 whereas Bumrah bagged six wickets in the second essay.

On the other hand, India lost the Adelaide Test match against Australia in the 2020-21 tour after they were skittled out for 36 runs. But the team bounced back to win in Melbourne and also handed Australia their first loss at the Gabba in 32 years.

“It’ll be one of our best Test match victories,” Rohit said after India’s seven-wicket win in just five sessions, the shortest Test ever played. “Having not won here in Cape Town [before], obviously this puts it right up there with all the victories that we’ve had. It’s very hard to compare the Test matches that you play because every Test match has its own importance and own relevance. The Test match that we won at The Gabba as well. The last test match that was lost by Australia in Brisbane was in 1988, I think. Nearly after 23, 24 years [32 years] we won the Test match there. It kind of became like their fortress. They never lose a test match there.

“And the way we won that Test match as well was quite important. From where we came, we were 1-nil down, we won in Melbourne and then we drew the Test match in Sydney and then won in Brisbane. So you can’t really rank the Test matches, but this has to be right up there because we had not won here. That shows how important a venue this is for us to come here and perform. I give a lot of credit to our team to put up a performance like that and win the game.”

Rohit added it was important to judge the pitch and play accordingly in tough conditions. The Indian skipper admitted it was always going to be a low-scoring game after South Africa were bundled out for 55 runs.

“We knew it was not gonna be a high-scoring game,” Rohit said. “So all we wanted to do was stay disciplined in how we bowl, not get ahead of ourselves and try and do too many things. Once we got them all out for 55, we spoke to the batters that we needed small contributions in this game.

“It was not gonna be an easy pitch to bat on. So how much ever you can try and score, apply yourself, get hit on your body, it’s fine, but just go and put yourself ahead. If you have to take a blow, be ready for it. That’s something that we spoke of. To be honest, the top four or five batters showed a lot of grit. We knew that the first-innings lead here was going to be crucial.

“Never thought we would lose six wickets for no runs. Little disappointing, but again that happens. Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, they spearheaded our bowling attack. They put the ball in the right areas and let the pitch do the rest, and they got rewarded for it.”

India will next face Afghanistan in the three-match T20I series.