No Indian group has received a Check sequence in South Africa and Rohit Sharma’s males will likely be seeking to conquer this ultimate frontier as the primary out the 2 Checks will get underway on the SuperSport Park right here from Tuesday.
To start their problem, they want the climate to permit play. It rained closely on the eve of the match and the forecast isn’t very encouraging for the Boxing Day both.
The final time India performed a Check match right here, two years in the past, it secured a convincing 113-run victory. Lots of the gamers from that facet are lacking on this squad, although, together with Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane. That is the primary time in over a decade that India is enjoying an away Check with out both of the red-ball specialists.
However in Rohit and Virat Kohli, who averages 51.35 in Checks right here, it has sufficient expertise, and if the duo fires, India ought to have sufficient runs on the board to place the host below stress.
It will be attention-grabbing to see how the younger weapons Yashasvi Jaiswal, who made a giant hundred on Check debut within the West Indies, and Shubman Gill fare on the prime of the order. Ok.L. Rahul and Shreyas Iyer could have important roles to play within the center order.
Mohammed Shami’s absence will likely be a giant blow, however fellow seamers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Siraj could cause loads of harm. Prasidh Krishna or Mukesh Kumar may get a chance to fill in for Shami.
As for South Africa, although there had been harm issues about its high quality quicks Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi, coach Shukri Conrad has indicated they’re prepared to fireside. The Proteas will likely be seeking to the likes of opener Dean Elgar, who’s retiring from worldwide cricket after this sequence, captain Temba Bavuma and Aiden Markram for runs.
SQUADS
South Africa: Temba Bavuma (c), Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram, Tony de Zorzi, David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne, Keegan Petersen, Nandre Burger, Gerald Coetzee, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Kagiso Rabad and Tristan Stubbs.
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Ok.L. Rahul, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Ok.S. Bharat and Abhimanyu Easwaran.