Even if India can no longer win the two-match series against South Africa, there will be a lot on the line when the second Test starts in Cape Town on January 3 because of the World Test Championship.
Rohit Sharma and company must step up their game if they are to make it to the final for the third consecutive year, having already finished the two-year ICC cycle with a tie and a defeat. They will be eager to go all the way this time as they haven’t been able to take home the trophy in their two efforts.
Therefore, in the second Test, India could need to take the initiative. It’s never a good idea to make rash decisions, particularly in the red-ball format, but the visitors’ present team India needs some fine tuning before it can play its best.
3. Mukesh Kumar for Shardul Thakur
Shardul Thakur is in the team more for his batting at No. 8 than for his bowling, which has shown to be costly on several times. He has only claimed seven wickets in his previous five Test matches, and his economy rate has been the main source of worry.
Although Thakur made a useful twenty-four in the first innings of the first Test, he gave up 101 runs in 19 overs at an economy rate of 5.32, completely undoing the good work he did with the bat. With the exception of the occasional exceptional showing with the ball, like his seven-fer against the Proteas a few years back, that has been the situation for a good amount of time.
India may thus need to give their bowling department top priority and field a top-tier fast bowler with control. One alternative is Avesh Khan, who was named to the second Test squad. However, since Prasidh Krishna is already an unknown, the think tank ought to make sure the bowler they select ensures consistency.
Mukesh Kumar contributes that to the discussion. Over 40 games, the 30-year-old averages 21.62 and has a first-class economy rate of 2.69. He may play the perfect holding role and is very unlikely to leak runs.
2. Abhimanyu Easwaran for Shreyas Iyer
With 11 Tests under his belt, Shreyas Iyer is holding his own with a 41.35 average. When it comes to pitches that favor seam bowling, his performance has been less than satisfactory. In two games, Iyer scored just 71 runs with an average of 17.75.
Although some may argue the dataset is too small for concrete judgments, even without statistics, Shreyas’ performance is hardly inspiring. His discomfort against tough lengths is evident and he has failed to successfully respond to sideways movement.
Abhimanyu Easwaran has spent some time with the India Test team. Although he hasn’t been able to consistently turn starts into large scores, his technical skill and defensive strokeplay are less in question.
Easwaran may bat at No. 3 in lieu of Shreyas in the starting lineup, while Shubman Gill drops to No. 5, where he will undoubtedly feel more at ease. The series is on the line, and Shreyas hasn’t shown enough confidence to warrant India giving him additional opportunities before ending the innings.
1. Ravindra Jadeja for Ravichandran Ashwin
It’s a simple switch. If Ravindra Jadeja hadn’t been injured, he’d have played before Ravichandran Ashwin in the first Test due to his superior batting while not at home.
News indicates Jadeja’s back spasms are better. He’s expected on the Cape Town field. This left-handed batsman will join the middle order, potentially batting before KL Rahul who’s in charge of keeping wicket.
India is hoping that Jadeja’s arrival would result in better luck.