SA Vs IND 1st Test Match Preview – Who Will Be The Centurion at SuperSport Park?

SA Vs IND: After the series of the shortest format was levelled to one all and India won the one-day international series, The Blues will now head to tougher challenge on their tour of South Africa. The visitors will take on the host in a two match series of the red ball format, which starts from tomorrow.

As we all know that the men in blue side have never won a Test series on the South African soil. India has won just four matches in the Proteas Nation and they were successful in levelling the red ball series in South Africa just once on their 2011 tour when Mahendra Singh Dhoni was the skipper of the Indian Team.

The senior players of the Indian side will play the two-match red ball series after they will be rested for the white ball series. Rohit Sharma will back as the skipper of the side and Bumrah, Siraj, Jadeja, Gill will walk into India’s Test side quite easily.

This red ball series will be part of the WTC cycle 2023 to 2025, where India is number two in the rankings.

Virat Kohli has gone back to India because of a family emergency and he was not seen in the intra-squad game as well. However, the BCCI officials have said that the Indian stalwart batter will return on time before the 1^st red ball match starts. Indian’s batters will be the key to success in this two-match series.

This Indian team has the firepower. Their bowling has been brilliant and most of the Indian batters are experienced with the South African conditions as well.

Virat and Rohit are the senior players of the side and that will have to deliver it by an example which might help them to win the first Test match of this two-match red ball series.

South Africa on the other hand will be disappointed after levelling the three-match series of the T20I format and losing the ODI series under Aiden Markram.

Now under Temba Bavuma, the Proteas will look to continue their winning run at home against the men in blue. South Africa have good record against India in the red-ball matches at home.

But the home side will face a huge blow if Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi don’t make it to the playing eleven for the first red ball match. Both the pace bowlers of the South African team are not confirmed yet because of their injury concerns.

Still, their batting will also hold the key in this series. Elgar and skipper Bavuma will be the key batters for the home side.  

SA Vs IND: Match Details -

• Match – South Africa Vs India 1^st Test Match

• Venue – SuperSport Park in Centurion

• Day –  Tuesday to Saturday

• Date – 26^th December 2023 to 30^th December 2023

• Toss Timings – 1 PM Indian Standard Time (IST), 7.30 AM GMT and 9.30 AM Local

• Match Timings – 1.30 PM Indian Standard Time (IST), 8 AM GMT and 10 AM Local

• Television Channel – Star Sports India Network

• Live Streaming – Disney+ Hotstar Mobile Application

SA Vs IND: 1^st Test Match - Playing Eleven Of Both The Teams

India – Rohit Sharma(c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahu (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Mukesh Kumar.

South Africa - Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram, Tony de Zorzi, Temba Bavuma(c), David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Gerald Coetzee, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi.

SA Vs IND: 1^st Test Match - Fantasy Playing XI  

• Batters – Virat Kohli, Dean Elgar and Shreyas Iyer

• Bowlers – Jasprit Bumrah, Gerald Coetzee and Keshav Maharaj

• All-rounders – Ravindra Jadeja and Marco Jansen

• Wicket-keeper – KL Rahul

• Vice-captain – Shardul Thakur

• Captain – Temba Bavuma