India vs South Africa 1st Test: Former India coach and commentator Ravi Shastri was left surprised with Rohit Sharma's on-field strategies on the second day of the first Test against South Africa at the SuperSport pak in Centurion.
As the action began after lunch with the hosts resuming their first inning from 49/1, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma decided to start the proceedings in the second session with Shardul Thakur and Prasidh Krishna rather than Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah.
The decision wasn't received well by Shastri considering the early struggles of Shardul and debutant Prasidh in the match.
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Shastri, who was on commentary at that moment, blasts the decision saying that in any pecking order, Shardul and Krishna would be the last to begin play following lunch.
He also gave a reference of the plans of the team during his stint as the head coach.
"On any pecking order, these two (Shardul and Prasidh) would have been the last to start the proceedings (after lunch)," said Shastri.
"That is something that we have had a discussion multiple times when I was the coach. And more often than not we decided to go with the best two bowlers at the start of the session, he added.
Dean Elgar was the batter to make the most of the second day as he went on to smash a remarkable century to keep his side ahead in the contest after the hosts bowled India out for 245 runs.
After dismissing Tony de Zorzi for 28, Bumrah provided the much-needed breakthrough by breaking the 93-run stand for the second wicket.
Indian skipped a trick, according to former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar, by not allowing Bumrah and Siraj to open the second session.
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"Clearly India missed the trick. This is something Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma must have thought about during the break and then decided to go with Prasidh and Shardul," he said in commentary.
The hosts have got way ahead in the match with the help of Elgar's remarkable innings as India continue to struggle for wickets.