'Opportunity for Mayank, Rahul to step up in Rohit's absence'

India Test skipper Virat Kohli said Rohit Sharma's absence in the Test series against South Africa is a big problem for the Men in Blues as his partnership was an important factor.

Rohit was ruled out of the upcoming three-match Test series against South Africa after a hamstring injury during a practice session on Monday.

"Will miss his abilities a lot. He's proven in England already that he's really worked his Test game out, and the opening partnership was very important for us to play in that series. Obviously, with his experience and skill, we will miss those qualities," said Virat Kohli in a virtual conference.

"That said, it's an opportunity for Mayank [Agarwal] and KL [Rahul] to step up and solidify that start for us and make sure the good work is carried on in this series," he added.

Rohit will be missing the upcoming Test series after the hamstring injury and Priyank Panchal was named as the replacement. Last week, Rohit was handed the reins of ODIs along with the T20I formats.

Talking about Ravindra Jadeja's absence due to a forearm injury, Kohli said that the all-rounder contributes to all three departments and the team will try to create the best combination possible in his absence.

"Jadeja is a very important player for us, he contributes to all three departments, which is invaluable overseas, and he will be missed. That said, we do have the quality in the side to be able to create the best combination possible and still be able to win Test matches because we've created that bench strength and environment where people coming in are seizing opportunities, grabbing it with both hands, and making sure the team is helped by their performances. As much as we'll miss him, it won't be a deciding factor," said Kohli.