India is poised to tackle what may be their toughest test in the current 2023-25 World Test Championship run – a two-match series against South Africa. The opening Test is scheduled to start at SuperSport Park in Centurion. The date? Tuesday, December 26.
India has never been able to win a Test series on South African soil in eight attempts. They had won the first Test by 117 runs the previous time they were in the Rainbow Nation, but they wasted the lead in the next two matches, losing by seven wickets.
India may have a large number of players who are on their final visit to South Africa, but both teams also have some new players. A Test series with a legendary home vs away plot is guaranteed to be entertaining, and because pitches are so short, there are very few dull periods.
Here are three things to anticipate from India vs. South Africa’s first Test match.
1. Elgar eyes one final challenge against India before retirement
After the current series against India, former South African captain Dean Elgar has declared his retirement from international cricket.
During the last Freedom Trophy, the tenacious opener severely vexed the visiting team, scoring 235 runs at an average of 47 in six innings. Despite missing a lot of deliveries, he persisted and dominated the Indian bowlers, finishing the series as the second-highest run scorer.
Elgar tops the chart in South Africa’s four-day local matches, showing he’s playing well. He’s eager for a strong finish. Tracking his performance will be interesting.
2. India’s fresh batting order can create history in SA
When India last visited South Africa, KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal led up front in the second Test. Next up were Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, and others, specifically Hanuma Vihari, followed by Rishabh Pant, and lastly Ravichandran Ashwin.
Apart from Rahul, who this time should be a middle-order batter and the wicketkeeper, none of the others seem to be in the probable line-up. Only Ashwin is present in the team, and his inclusion in the XI is not certain.
Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer compose the top five. They’re each at specific career stages. On paper, they seem to hold an edge over the South Africans. The idea of a challenging tour in the Rainbow Nation is warmly embraced.
It’s crucial to focus on just one name in particular.
3. Kohli can enhance his superb Test record in SA
Virat Kohli, an Indian batter, holds the record for the highest batting average in South Africa. His average of 51.35 surpasses even the legendary Sachin Tendulkar’s average of 46.44, and this is among players who have participated in three or more Tests in South Africa.
Since the conclusion of the 2023 World Cup, Kohli has been missing in action. Despite this, his career trajectory has soared in the latter half. Being 35 years young, Kohli has still got fire in him. His goal now? To lift up a Test average that has dwindled over the past three years.
Along with being without Rishabh Pant, the greatest match-winner, Virat Kohli will also be crucial in a rather inexperienced middle order. Viewers will be closely monitoring the former Indian captain’s performances because of his superstar status and unparalleled skill.