Virat Kohli and his boys will be looking to make history as India have never managed to win a Test series in South Africa so far.
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The long-awaited India tour of South Africa kicks off on Sunday. The first of three Tests is set to take place at SuperSport Park in Centurion from December 26 to 30. Seven times, India has toured South Africa for a Test series. They have yet to win a Test series on their home ground. India have only won three Test matches in South Africa so far.
Virat Kohli, the Indian Cricket Team’s skipper, is set to lead the team for the second time in a Test series in South Africa. India won one match out of three Tests the last time he led the team, in 2017-18. For those who are unaware, India has never won a Test series in South Africa. This time, Virat Kohli and the boys will be looking to make history. Unfortunately, due to an injury, their newly appointed vice-captain in Tests, Rohit Sharma, will be unavailable for the series.
In Rohit’s absence, KL Rahul will take over as vice-captain. Senior players in poor form, such as Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara, have been added to the squad. In addition, the middle order includes Shreyas Iyer, who made a strong debut in Kanpur, and Hanuma Vihari, who performed admirably for India A while on tour in South Africa.
India’s fast bowlers will include Jasprit Bumrah, M Shami, Ishant Sharma, M Siraj, and Umesh Yadav. It will be fascinating to see how many of them make the starting XI for the first Test.
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South Africa, on the other hand, will play a Test series after a six-month hiatus. Dean Elgar, their new captain, will have a difficult task ahead of him. It will be interesting to see how he leads the team against a strong Indian unit. The team has been dealt a severe blow ahead of the series. Anrich Nortje, an Express fast bowler, has been ruled out of the series due to a hip injury. Furthermore, Quinton de Kock will miss at least the third Test, if not the second, due to the birth of his first child.
In Nortje’s absence, Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi will bear a great deal of responsibility. In addition, the pace attack includes Duanne Olivier and Marco Jansen. The latter, on the other hand, is unlikely to make the starting XI for the first Test.
Dean Elgar, alongside Aiden Markram, should open the innings, followed by Keegan Petersen, Rassie van der Dussen, and Temba Bavuma at three, four, and five, respectively. Keshav Maharaj, South Africa’s left-arm spinner, has performed admirably in Tests over the last year or so. He should be selected for the first Test against South Africa in Centurion.
