The three-match series is currently tied at 1-1.
Cape Town, India need the presence of the charismatic skipper Virat Kohli to bolster their campaign to win their first Test series on their soil against South Africa but starts on Tuesday. In the ongoing Test, the host team will also come with increased morale after winning the second Test. Kohli missed the second Test in Johannesburg last week due to a sprained upper back and the Indian skipper is likely to play in the third and final Test if he follows the indications from the training session at Newlands.
The three-match series is currently tied at 1-1. The hosts too would certainly like to take inspiration from their performance in the second Test. Kohli will play his 99th Test on the occasion of his daughter’s first birthday. In such a situation, batsman Kohli would like to make this match memorable for captain Kohli, who has been facing a lot of pressure for some time. Winning the first Test series in South Africa in three decades would certainly establish Kohli’s name as the country’s greatest captain in the traditional format. For this, however, India will be hoping for a better performance from its batsmen who have been doing well in the last few years.
Have not been able to perform on time as expected. It will be important to score more than 300 in the first innings. There are players in the team whose mere presence gives psychological advantage to the team and captain Kohli is one such player. Be it batting or fielding, Kohli’s presence on the field is enough to make the opposition uncomfortable. He may not have scored a century for two years, but his presence forces the opposition team to change strategy. However, if you look at Kohli’s batting in the last two years, unlike Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane, he has faith in his batting as long as he stays at the crease.
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After scoring an unbeaten 40 in Johannesburg in two struggling innings, especially in the second innings, Hanuma Vihari may feel disheartened and may have to find a place for the captain in the side. Many experts have suggested that Kohli should avoid playing the off-drive or play the same innings as Sachin Tendulkar in 2004 when he did not play shots on the off-side until he scored a double century against Brett Lee & Co in Sydney. But Kohli has his own way. If we look at Sunday’s practice, he is not shying away from playing cover drives right now.
Rishabh Pant has shown aggression in recent months by stepping up and playing against the fast bowlers but it hasn’t helped him much. India will have to bat better against Kagiso Rabada, Duane Olivier, Lungi Ngidi and Marco Jensen on the uneven bouncy pitch at Newlands. India have never won a Test match in Cape Town and three experienced middle-order batsmen will have to do better than the Wanderers.
Pujara and Rahane may be retained in the playing XI after scoring half-centuries in the second innings of the second Test but if they don’t make a significant contribution, it may be insufficient to save their careers. Scoring a half-century is a positive sign but not converting a good start into a big hundred is disappointing. Similarly, Lokesh Rahul and Mayank Agarwal will also have to give a good start to the team against the stormy bowlers of South Africa. Fast bowler Ishant Sharma is also in the late stages of his career and Mohammad Siraj’s leg injury may give him a chance.
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In the last six months, he has been battling with poor form and injury. The nature of South African pitches and Ishant’s ability to consistently throw maidens with lengths of over six feet make him a better choice than Umesh Yadav. The team, however, will be hoping for a better performance from Jasprit Bumrah, whose strike rate has dropped after returning from a back injury. Dean Elgar, Resie van der Dussen and Temba Bavuma were not bothered by Bumrah with his short pitch deliveries and he would like to improve his performance.
The teams are as follows:
India: Virat Kohli (Captain), Lokesh Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Ravichandran Ashwin, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammad Siraj, Ajinkya Rahane, Wriddhiman Saha, Jayant Yadav, Priyank Panchal, Umesh Yadav , Hanuma Vihari and Ishant Sharma.
South Africa: Dean Elgar (captain), Temba Bavuma, Kagiso Rabada, Sarel Irvi, Beuran Hendrix, George Linde, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Aiden Markram, Viaan Mulder, Keegan Peterson, Rasi van der Dusen, Kyle Verne, Marco Jensen, Glenton Sturman, Prenelan Subraine, Sisanda Magala, Ryan Rickelton, Duane Olivier.
time: The match will start at 1.30 pm Indian time.