IND vs SA: Five things that make the Freedom Trophy special
With a 2-0 thumping of the West Indies, India have successfully kick-started their journey to the ICC World Test Championship. Now, a bigger challenge in the form of a new South African team awaits at home. Having tied the T20I series 1-1, the hosts are now gearing up to conquer the longest format. As for the visitors, this series will be the starting point of their journey to the Test Championship. One day to go for the IND vs SA Test series!
Here are five things that make this Gandhi-Mandela series a special one:
A new dawn for Rohit Sharma in whites
While opening batsmen around the world are enduring a rough spell in Test cricket, India have offered a new lease to Rohit Sharma. The 32-year-old has already proved his mettle in limited-overs cricket but it is his red-ball approach that’s always been under the scanner. Now, in a move to sort India’s opening woes, Sharma will open the innings for the first time in his six years of Test career. In 27 Tests so far, the Mumbai batsman averages nearly 40 with three centuries to his name. All eyes will be on this trailblazer of Indian cricket who has received tremendous support from all corners of the cricketing community.
Rabada vs Kohli: The duel of IND vs SA
Over the years, Test cricket has been producing some of the most sizzling player rivalries. One such face-off will be on display in this series between India captain Virat Kohli and South Africa pacer Kagiso Rabada. Both players will be eyeing the top spots in their respective categories of the ICC Test Rankings.
The duel between these two goes back to 2015 when Rabada dismissed Kohli to claim his first wicket in Test cricket. Both Rabada and Kohli have come a long way since then, and it will be interesting to see who emerges victorious this time around.
The return of Wriddhiman Saha
If Kohli’s pre-match conference was anything to go by, veteran Wriddhiman Saha will be the designated wicket-keeper for the entire series against South Africa. Saha has earned a reputation for being one of the safest pairs after MS Dhoni. However, a serious injury forced him out of action for a long time, during which young Rishabh Pant started making waves. But with Pant’s disappointing outing in the Caribbean and Saha’s return to first-class form, the Indian team management has made up their mind on their first-choice keeper.
Faf du Plessis’s captaincy
South Africa’s horrendous World Cup campaign raised quite a few questions on the captaincy of Faf du Plessis. Still, the Proteas team management has continued to back him in the longer format. This is a particularly interesting series for du Plessis, who will be leading a mix of young and experienced players. The last time South Africa toured India in 2015, they were subjected to a 3-0 thrashing by the hosts. That series eventually led to Hashim Amla’s removal from Test captaincy. Placed in a similar situation, Du Plessis will have to lead from the front and that too, exceptionally.
120 points at stake
Apart from pride and records, both teams will be vying for those 120 crucial points in the race to the World Test Championship. With 120 points from the Caribbean series already in their kitty, India are currently leading the charts. South Africa are yet to get off the mark and they will have three Test matches to look forward to. Every Test will have 40 points for its winner. In case of a tied match, both teams will be awarded 20 points each. If the match ends in a draw, both teams will receive 13 points each. If India manage to pocket these 120 points, they will jump far ahead in the race.
