SA vs IND: Test series – Five players to watch out for
Cricket fans must mark their calendars as India is set to tour South Africa for three Tests and as many ODIs. The action gets underway on December 26 with the Boxing Day Test match at the SuperSport Park in Centurion. Notably, India have emerged as a fine visiting side in recent years and hence, expectations are sky-high from them.
On the other hand, South Africa aren’t the team they were a few years ago. Hence, it would be interesting to see how this series pans out. It must be noted that the rainbow nation is the only country where India has not recorded a Test series win. Hence, Virat Kohli’s men have a chance of scripting history. However, taking the Proteas side lightly won’t be wise for the visitors.
Meanwhile, let’s look at five players to watch out from India vs South Africa Test series:
Aiden Markram
The South African batter has been on a roll this year and his numbers are nothing short of phenomenal. Although most of his recent success has come in white-ball cricket, Markram is a proven star in the Test arena as well. The opener will have the onus to tackle the new red cherry against India’s potent pace attack.
KL Rahul
With Rohit Sharma being ruled out of the series, KL Rahul has been named the vice-captain, and eyes will be on him as well. The right-handed opener did well in tough England conditions earlier this year and is expected to replicate his heroics in the rainbow nation. As he has played international cricket in South Africa before, he’s not entirely unfamiliar with the conditions.
Mohammed Shami
The right-arm pacer has toured South Africa twice before and is well versed with the conditions. Shami can set the speed-gun on fire and his ability to control the swing makes him even more lethal. As the South African conditions are known to favour the fast bowlers, Shami is expected to be a nemesis for Proteas batters.
Kagiso Rabada
Another pacer who can make the ball talk in this series is Kagiso Rabada. With Anrich Nortje missing this series due to fitness issues, responsibilities on the speedster’s shoulders are even more. He has to join forces with Lungi Ngidi and Duanne Olivier to give Indian batters a tough time. However, his recent form hasn’t been phenomenal and it would be interesting to see if he can get his mojo back or not.
Virat Kohli
The Indian Test skipper will have a point to prove as he has been short of runs lately. In fact, his last ton in international cricket was recorded more than two years ago. The captaincy controversy in Indian cricket has also put him under the scanner. Hence, Kohli would be raring to make his bat talk in the challenging South African conditions.
