As India shift focus to the longest format, they are getting ready for the South African challenge in the first match of the 2-Test series, starting Boxing Day – December 26 – in Centurion. The two stalwarts, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, are back in the mix a month after the heartbreaking World Cup 2023 final. As head coach Rahul Dravid said at the presser, the players are trained to move on from heartbreaks and hence, they are now looking forward to qualifying for the 2025 World Test Championship final.
Out of the 23 Tests India played in South Africa, they’ve won only four. Also, the Indians have never won a Test series in the Rainbow and the forthcoming series is another shot at rewriting history for Rohit Sharma & Co.
What: India vs South Africa 1st Test
When: December 26 – the Boxing Day
Where: SuperSport Park, Centurion
Start Time: 1:30 PM IST
Team News – India
While the likes of Rohit, Kohli and Jasroti Burmah return to action, the eyes will also be on the youngsters. The likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer have never played a Test match in South Africa and their calibre will be tested against the Proteas attack on a spicy track. With Jaiswal and Gill of attacking ilk, head coach Dravid believes the team will encourage the young batters to be themselves with the bat.
But concern looms over the averages of some renowned faces which drops down on coming to South Africa. Rohit Sharma’s average of 46.54 crashes to 15.37, while KL Rahul’s slips to 25 from 33. It’s only Kohli who has ruled on overseas soil with the bat as he averages more than 50 in South Africa.
On the last tour of South Africa, Rahul batted as an opener and scored a brilliant hundred in Centurion to be adjudged the Player of the Match. He got a fifty in the next game in Johannesburg after which his form took a hit and runs dried up.
But this time around, the absence of Ishan Kishan will allow Rahul to keep wickets and bat in the middle order. It will be interesting to see if the change in batting position does wonders for the Karnataka batter.
Meanwhile, the weather forecast for the first two days of the Centurion Test predicts rain, which further intensifies the bowling combination debate. With Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj being certainties, there will be a toss-up between Mukesh Kumar and Prasidh Krishna for the third pacer’s slot.
Moreover, questions are also on Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin being fielded together or would one of them make way for a seam-bowling all-rounder in Shardul Thakur? Though the head coach didn’t drop a hint in the pre-match presser, the visitors, in most likelihood, will take the field with a pace-heavy attack.
Ruturaj Gaikwad has returned home with an injured finger and Abhimanyu Easwaran has replaced him in the squad.
South Africa Team News
The Proteas have been dominant against India at home. But the current batting unit might not match the opposition in terms of the average. Also, the man to be in the spotlight is outgoing batter Dean Elgar who will be playing the last 2 Tests of his career. He is one of only three South African batters with an average of more than 30. And as far Indians are concerned, half of their probable top six average more than 40. Interesting, isn’t it?
“We’ve spoken about Dean, but it’s equally important to blood the young guys so they feel comfortable in this environment so they’re able to play their best cricket,” said Temba Bavuma on Elgar.
But what has beaten the Indians in the Rainbow Nation is the pace. The last tour saw Kagiso Rabada picking up 20 wickets in 3 matches while Marco Jansen and Lungi Ngidi scalped 19 and 15, respectively. But currently, two of the prime pacers, Rabada and Ngidi, are trying to overcome heel and ankle issues.
Former Kolpak player David Bedingham likely to make debut while Kyle Verreynne, who was dropped for the two home Tests against West Indies earlier this year, is back in squad.
Squads:
South Africa: Temba Bavuma (c), David Bedingham, Nandre Burger, Gerald Coetzee, Tony de Zorzi, Dean Elgar, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Keegan Petersen, Kagiso Rabada, Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Verreynne (wk).
India: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Abhimanyu Easwaran, KL Rahul (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Prasidh Krishna, KS Bharat (wk).
