India and South Africa will lock horns with one another in a highly-anticipated Boxing Day Test match at Centurion’s SuperSport Park from Tuesday. Both groups have named robust squads with a lot at stake throughout this two-match Test collection and are anticipated to provide a memorable recreation to complete the 12 months 2023 on excessive.
This will final Test collection for former captain Dean Elger who introduced his resolution to retire after the Cape Town fixture. Youngster Tristan Stubbs is in rivalry to make his Test debut whereas senior pacers Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi are cleared from their current accidents.
For India, Rohit Sharma-led administration faces some harm and tactical points forward of the primary match and it will likely be fascinating to see their playing eleven for the Centurion Test with out the likes of Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara.
Star pacer Mohammed Shami and top-order batter Ruturaj Gaikwad are dominated out because of accidents whereas wicketkeeper batter Ishan Kishan has been withdrawn because of private causes. Abhimanyu Easwaran and KS Bharat have joined the camp as replacements.
India final performed a Test match throughout the West Indies tour in July 2023 the place Yashasvi Jaiswal and Mukesh Kumar made a profitable Test debut. Yashasvi is predicted to open against returning captain Rohit and Shubman Gill will play within the no.3 position once more.Â
Virat Kohli will proceed in his favorite no.4 place whereas fit-again Shreyas Iyer will fill within the no.5 place left vacant by Ajinkya Rahane. Head coach Rahul Dravid has confirmed that KL Rahul will don the wicketkeeping glove forward of KS Bharat and may begin within the no.6 place.Â
Centurion’s pitch massively favours pacers in red-ball cricket and Dravid additionally highlighted further bounce and seam for the bowlers. That may tempt the administration to enter the sport with 4 pacers and one spinner as they did within the World Test Championship 2023 last against Australia at The Oval in July.Â
Once once more, the veteran spin all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin is predicted to sit down out to pave the way in which for tempo all-rounder Shardul Thakur whereas Ravindra Jadeja will play as a specialist spin possibility. Jasprit Bumrah is again and is tipped to type a tempo assault with Mohammed Siraj and Mukesh Kumar leaving Prasidh Krishna on the bench.
India Test Squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Prasidh Krishna, KS Bharat (wk), Abhimanyu Easwaran
India Predicted Playing XI for 1st Test: Rohit Sharma (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah.
