"Breaks in Test cricket are wicket-takers" - Aakash Chopra on Shreyas Iyer and Virat Kohli's dismissals in 1st IND vs SA Test

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 on 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 elaborated (3:50):

"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 opener 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."

Rabada also dismissed Ravichandran Ashwin for eight soon thereafter to reduce India to 121/6. However, KL Rahul's unbeaten 70 and his crucial partnerships with Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj took the visitors to a decent 208/8 at Stumps.

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"You live by the sword, you die by the sword" - Aakash Chopra on Rohit Sharma's dismissal

Rohit Sharma (left) was caught at long leg off Kagiso Rabada's bowling. [P/C: AP]

Reflecting on the Indian top-order batters' dismissals, Aakash Chopra observed that Rohit Sharma fell prey while playing the pull once again. He said (3:10):

"You (India) didn't start that well. Rohit Sharma played a pull shot, a fielder was present in the deep and he got out. You live by the sword, you die by the sword. Rohit Sharma hits such fantastic sixes with the pull, but we have seen him getting out many times, especially in Test cricket, like this."

Chopra added that while Yashasvi Jaiswal fell to a good ball, Shubman Gill was slightly unfortunate to be caught down the leg side. He stated:

"Yashasvi Jaiswal was looking good till the time he played, played some shots, but Nandre Burger, who is a very good bowler, got him to edge one. Shubman Gill can call himself unfortunate because he was caught off his gloves down the leg side, but the truth is that incoming deliveries are still a slight question mark."

Jaiswal contributed 17 runs and was caught behind off Nandre Burger's bowling after Rohit was dismissed for five. Gill managed only two runs before gloving the left-arm seamer to Kyle Verreynne behind the wickets.