Former Indian Cricketer Aakash Chopra reckons the Lunch break contributed to Shreyas Iyer and Virat Kohli’s dismissals in India’s first innings of the first Test against South Africa in Centurion on Tuesday, December 26.
The visitors were 91/3 heading into lunch, with Kohli and Shreyas being the unbeaten batters at 33 and 31, respectively. Kagiso Rabada bowled Shreyas in the first over after the break before he could add to his score. The South African seamer then dismissed Kohli, caught behind for 38 four overs later.
While reviewing the day’s play in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra opined that the lunch interval potentially caused Shreyas and Kohli’s dismissals after they had strung together a 68-run fourth-wicket partnership. He said, “Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer were playing well. Of course, they got chances as well. The South African fielding was looking extremely ordinary but both played good shots. Shreyas Iyer’s six and Virat Kohli’s shot down the ground, they were really, really good.”
The former India further added, “Then Lunch happened and breaks in Test cricket are wicket-takers. As soon as they returned after Lunch, Kagiso Rabada said he was also there. Wickets fell and more wickets were expected to fall after that.”
