Following their triumph in the ODI series, the Indian cricket team is scheduled to take on South Africa on December 26, 2023. The ODI side, led by KL Rahul, emerged victorious with a 2-1 win on Thursday. The upcoming two-match Test series holds significance as it marks the return of key veterans such as Jasprit Bumrah, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli following the ODI World Cup.  

3 things you need to know 

• India tied the T20I series against SA by 1-1 
• India beat South Africa in the 3rd ODI by 78 runs 
• India triumphed in the ODI series by 2-1

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Sunil Gavaskar made a huge statement regarding Rohit Sharma’s approach ahead of the SA Test 

Legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has counselled captain Rohit Sharma to quickly adjust mentally in front of the forthcoming two-Test series against South Africa, which is scheduled to begin on December 26. While praising Rohit for his remarkably aggressive attitude during the ODI World Cup, Gavaskar pointed out that the captain must undergo a whole mental adjustment in order to start the batting in South Africa.

Following the World Cup final, Rohit Sharma's first competitive match will be the Boxing Day Test at SuperSport Park in Centurion. The India captain seems to have gotten over the final defeat, even if it was disappointing, and is now concentrating on his first Test assignment as captain in South Africa.

Rohit Sharma has averaged just over 15 in the four Test matches he has played in South Africa, amassing 123 runs in the whites overall. But because it's his first trip to South Africa since emerging as a revitalised Test opener in 2019, this tour will be noteworthy.

During the World Cup, Rohit displayed commanding form and took the lead as an aggressor. He was instrumental in delivering flying starts in most games, including the semifinal and final, with 597 runs at a striking rate of 125. While acknowledging Rohit's bold attitude, Gavaskar advises him to moderate that inclination and adjust to the South African red Kookaburra. Speaking on Star Sports, Gavaskar said: 

"First and foremost, the challenge would be to get your mental state into a Test match situation," 

"He has been batting in the one-day format, where he had decided that he would be playing the attacking role and try and score as much as possible before the field restrictions were lifted in the first 10 overs. We saw that in the World Cup. That was his approach for the World Cup.

“For Test cricket, he has to change his approach completely because he has to think in terms of batting the whole day. If he bats the whole day, then clearly, with the range of shots he has got, he will be able to end up with 150-plus not, then India will be 300-plus or 350-plus,”

"That's the change he has to do. As a batter, when you are batter-captain, the moment you score run, your confidence in leading the side also increases. That's going to be a big challenge for Rohit Sharma," 

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India vs South Africa Test squad

Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Abhimanyu Easwaran, KL Rahul (wicket-keeper), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (Vice Captain), Prasidh Krishna, KS Bharat (wicket-keeper).