Indian cricket team
Reflexes
- India beat South Africa in Test 1 to take a 1-0 series lead
- The second test match of the series between India and South Africa will be played in Johannesburg.
- In this match, all eyes will be on Kohli, who has failed to score a century for more than two years.
India will have a chance to create history in the new year when Virat Kohli’s team, which is dominated by multiple match winners, will aim to win the first Test series in the country by defeating South Africa in the second Test of cricket that begins. Monday. After the demolition of South Africa’s fort at Centurion in the ‘Boxing Day Test’, India will now look to record a victory in Johannesburg, which is considered to be the ‘home’ of the Indian team outside the country.
This is where the foundations of one of India’s best test teams were laid in 2018 when India defeated the hosts on a very difficult field and the India team had the confidence to take on the best teams and beat them on their own. ground. The Indian team has performed effectively on foreign soil for almost four years and the team has no intention of stopping.
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Test victory at the Wanderers would cement Kohli’s status as one of the country’s greatest captains in the traditional format, having won series in all four Army nations (South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia) excluding New Zealand. . The South African team is going through a period of change after the departure of many legendary players and India will have no better chance of winning the Test series.
It won’t be easy for the current South African team to challenge India, but the hosts have fast pitchers like Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi, who can destroy opponents’ batting order on their own. The retirement of goalie Quinton de Kock’s batsman from test cricket at the age of 29 has dealt a blow to South Africa and will further weaken the team’s batting order. Twenty-five-year-old Ryan Rickleton is set to make his second test debut, but even if he makes an impact, it won’t be easy for him to take on the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami against the Red Kookaburra.
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Duane Oliver, who was ruled out of Test 1 due to a hamstring injury, is expected to replace Viaan Mulder, but his path ahead will not be easy against India’s strong batting lineup. Personally, Kohli must have breathed a sigh of relief in the first Test, as the Indian Cricket Board decided that he is no longer the board’s favorite, following a dispute with President Sourav Ganguly.
Kohli has failed to score a century for more than two years and his eyes will be on ending the drought. Kohli did not face the media before and after the first test and now head coach Rahul Dravid is reprising the role of ‘The Wall’. Dravid’s role is to calm the atmosphere.
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He has already made it clear that he will not discuss the internal affairs of the team. The head coach once cooled things down and is expected to limit the discussion to cricket once again at his press conference on Sunday. India’s XI is unlikely to change due to Kohli’s willingness to go with five bowlers. India had lost a point on the World Test Championship table due to a slow overrun and Ravichandran Ashwin will be a key part of the bowling lineup with four fast bowlers on a fast bowling field.
Shardul Thakur is the weakest link in the bowling order. Umesh Yadav is more dominant than him, but the Mumbai all-rounder’s ability to pick up turf at crucial moments and better hitting make him a strong contender for a place in the XI of play. In a lively Wanderers field, Umesh wouldn’t be a bad choice even if it required playing additional hitters, which is not Kohli’s style. When it comes to batting order, if a batter is not unsuitable, there is little chance that he will change.
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The five specialist hitters and goalkeeper Rishabh Pant will once again be part of the game XI. Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane will not be removed from the team from now on, as Dravid wants to give them enough opportunities to succeed, only after which Shreyas Iyer and Hanuma Vihari will be considered. Big innings are expected from the big three players and if these two re-form together it will be nothing short of a nightmare for the hosts.
The teams are as follows: India: Virat Kohli (Captain), Lokesh Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Ravichandran Ashwin, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammad Siraj, Ajinkya Rahane, Yridadavhiman Saiman , Priyank Panchal, Umesh Yadav, Hanuma Vihari, and Ishant Shama.
South Africa: Dean Elgar (captain), Temba Bavuma, Kagiso Rabada, Cerell Irvi, Beuron Hendricks, George Linde, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Aidan Markram, Viaan Mulder, Keegan Pietersen, Resie van der Dusen, Kyle Veren, Marco Jensen, Glenton Sturman, Prenelan Subraine, Sisanda Magala, Ryan Rickleton, and Duane Oliver.
Time: The game will start at 1:30 PM IST.
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