SA’s plan to stop Rohit: Get him in first 10 balls

Indore, October 13

Rohit Sharma's form is giving South Africa some tough time and the Proteas are planning to get the marauding right-hander out of their way in the first 10 balls of the match.

Aware of Rohit’s destructive abilities, South Africa's bowling coach Charl Langeveldt is busy working out a plan to dismiss the Indian batsman early. "At the moment he (Rohit) is batting really well. He bats well in Indian conditions. The first 10 balls to him are important. You need to try and get him out in the first 10 balls. He is one of those players who kicks on if he gets past 20," said Langeveldt.

Happy with South Africa’s performance so far in the tour, Langeveldt said adaptability is key to success for any team in Indian conditions.

"So far it has been great. We have had three wins. In the last 10 overs in Kanpur, we were looking down the barrel but we did very well to get over the line," the former Protea fast bowler said.

“In India you are going to go for runs. So if you can control the last 5 and the first 10 overs, then you can win games," he added.

Langeveldt also said that there are doubts over Faf du Plessis' availability for tomorrow’s match as he is down with a knee problem. "He is having a fitness test today. We will make a decision on him tomorrow," the coach said.

Can't make same mistakes: Rohit

India opener Rohit Sharma today said that India cannot afford to commit small mistakes often if they aspire to be the No. 1 team in the world. He said although India's death bowling and match-finishing abilities were a concern, the players are mature enough to make a comeback in the series.

"Things like this can happen but there are no excuses. If we want to be the No.1 team, we cannot commit these kinds of mistakes. I hope we won't keep repeating the same mistakes, that's what a champion side doesn't do," said Rohit.

Asked about his partner Shikhar Dhawan poor form, Rohit said the left-hander will come good soon. "He was the highest run-getter for us in the World Cup. He was the highest run-getter in Bangladesh. A couple of games shouldn't be a worry," Rohit said.