SA vs IND 1st Test: The ODI & T20Is are over & now it’s time for the longest format of cricket as India is all set to lock horns with South Africa in two two-match Test series at SuperSport Park, Centurion. Proteas have done well in the home series & they will be confident to perform well in the longest format of cricket as well. India’s Test squad has been a force to reckon with in the last three years & they will hope to continue the good form in the recent series as well.
The last time when India faced South Africa in the Test match at Centurion they were successful in clinching the win. They will hope to continue the same performance & register another win in this clash. South Africa has a strong batting order & will be bolstered with their performance. Proteas are tough to beat at home & we expect a thrilling fixture that will help to bring out the best in players.
SA vs IND 1st Test TEAMS PREVIEW
South Africa Preview
Temba Bavuma will have a tough challenge to face in this fixture as they will be up to a strong Indian setup which will have their key players back into the setup. Indians emerged as a strong team in the T20I & ODI series & will do their best in this crucial Test series. South Africa is aware of their weaknesses in front of strong opponents & will aim to get the best in front of them. Proteas bowlers should do well in front of the Indian team who are potent with bat & ball.
The team will expect a good show from Dean Elgar and Aiden Markram as they will be up against a strong new ball attack. In the middle order, Tony De Zorzi is in lethal form & must do well with Temba Bavuma & Keegen Petersen. Tristan Stubbs & Wiann Mulder add depth to their lineup & must do well in the middle & lower order.
In the bowling order, the team needs good spells from Kagiso & Mulder looking at India’s strong top order. Ngidi & Coetzee will look to use the conditions for the team to be in a strong position. While Maharaj will try to turn the ball & trouble the opponents.
South Africa Predicted Playing XI:
Temba Bavuma (c), Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram, Tony de Zorzi, Tristan Stubbs (wk), Wiaan Mulder, Keshav Maharaj, Gerald Coetzee, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Keegan Petersen
India Preview
Rohit Sharma is back in the lineup & will look ahead for a good show with the willow. India’s clan has performed outstandingly on this tour & will aim to begin this contest with a win. The last time India played on this ground & they won the Test. Sharma will ensure that his players draw inspiration from their previous wins & perform well in this contest.
The team will need a spectacular start from openers Shubman & Yashavi who performed well in West Indies. Their middle order holds lots of experience & the team will expect a good show from them. Virat, Rohit & Shreyas will be their key players in the top & middle order. While the lower middle order & middle order will be taken care of by KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, and Ravichandran Ashwin.
Indian team has a strong bowling order & they will expect a good show from Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj. Shardul must bowl well as the first option bowler & use his variations. The team would like a good show from Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin who have troubled the Proteas with their variety in spin attack.
India Predicted Playing XI:
Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur
SA vs IND 1st Test Pitch & Weather Conditions
The forecast is overcast with chances of rain. Newlands have been a good venue for bowlers & batters must play their strikes cautiously. The team that bats first here will aim to add more than 350 runs on board. The wicket is good for fast bowlers as they can extract pace & bounce on this surface. The nature of this pitch makes it easy for the batters to hit the ball while spinners can make use of their variations as well.
Toss: To Bat
The team batting first has won four out of five matches. This has been a record on this pitch as chasing becomes difficult in the fourth innings. Thus we expect the team winning the toss to bat first & make use of these conditions aptly.
SA vs IND 1st Test Winning Prediction
The Proteas have done well in home conditions but with India being their opponents they have to be in their extreme best form. South Africa has to bowl well as the Indian batting order will look to dominate them. Indians have depth in their batting order & an experienced bowling attack. We expect a close match here but looking at India’s form in the Test format we predict India to win this match.
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