SA Vs IND: We wish our viewers a Happy New Year 2024. India will start their new year in South Africa after they ended the 2023 year with a thrashing defeat in the opening Test match at SuperSport Park in Centurion. Rohit and co are down in the series and they will have to win the 2nd and the final match to level the series.
The Men in Blue haven’t won a single match at Newlands in Cape Town. This is the only stadium in South Africa where the visitors need to open their account.
India has played six red ball matches and they have lost four and two games ended as a drawn affair. To win the final Test match and to level the series, India will have to play out of their skins.
The Blues never looked like winning side in the first red ball match in Centurion. Their batting was again a huge problem and their bowlers also didn’t fire.
Apart from KL’s 101 runs, King Kohli’s 76 runs and Boom Boom Bumrah’s four fer, the other players failed to give an impressive performance in the 1st game.
India also needs to rethink about Shubman Gill’s batting position. The Prince has been a terrific opener across the format and he hasn’t performed well at his new number.
His bat was silent in the Test series against West Indies as well. So the management should allow him to bat in the opening position for this must win match.
Ravindra Jadeja and Mukesh Kumar need to play the second and final match of this South Africa tour. These two players were in the T20 International series as well which India had levelled after they lost the 2nd game of that series and the first match was a complete wash out.
Jaddu can be in place of Ashwin or Jaiswal. Adding Jadeja, the world’s best spin-bowling all-rounder will boost India’s batting, which is needed for them, and he is also an extra bowling option as well.
Mukesh Kumar has done well in the T20Is and Tests so far. He should have been picked for the first Test match itself instead of Prasidh Krishna, who was pretty expensive in the opening match. Mukesh has been more accurate with his lines and lengths than Krishna.
South Africa on the other hand will want to continue their good run in the red ball format at home against India. The hosts will look to be undefeated in Cape Town.
Dean Elgar will continue to lead the Proteas at home in his last series. Elegant Elgar scored a magnificent ton for his side in that only innings which South Africa batted.
There are no real issues for South Africa in this last match of the red ball series. However, there are real and major concerns for Team India ahead of this must-win encounter in Cape Town.
South Africa was brilliant in all three departments of the gentlemen’s game and that's why they won the first Test match at SuperSport Park by an innings and 32 runs.
Match – South Africa Vs India 2nd Test Match
Venue – Newlands Stadium in Cape Town
Day – Wednesday to Sunday
Date – 3rd January 2024 to 7th January 2024
Toss Timings – 1.30 PM Indian Standard Time (IST), 8 AM GMT and 10 AM Local
Match Timings – 2 PM Indian Standard Time (IST), 8.30. AM GMT and 10.30 AM Local
Television Channel – Star Sports India Network
Live Streaming – Disney+Hotstar Mobile Application
India – Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul(wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Mukesh Kumar.
South Africa - Dean Elgar(c), Aiden Markram, Tony de Zorzi, David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne(wk), Marco Jansen, Wiaan Mulder, Keshav Maharaj, , Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi and Nandre Burger.
Batters – Shubman Gill, Tony De Zorzi and Aiden Markram
Bowlers – Jasprit Bumrah, Lungi Ngidi and Kagiso Rabada
All-rounders – Ravindra Jadeja and Marco Jansen
Wicket-keeper – Kyle Verreynne
Vice-captain – Shreyas Iyer
Captain – Rohit Sharma
