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The three-match Test series between India and South Africa moves to Johannesburg, where the two teams will battle it out in the second match at the Wanderers Stadium from January 3 to 7. India will head into the Test with a series lead of 1-0 after a monumental victory at Centurion.
Virat Kohli’s team registered a historic win in the first Test at Centurion, beating the hosts by 113 runs. KL Rahul’s 123 in the first innings helped India post a good total of 327 on a tough batting wicket. The Proteas, in response, were bowled out for 197, handing the visitors a lead of 130.
India managed 174 in their second innings to set a target of 305, with uncertainty around the weather. SA’s captain Dean Elgar (77) and Temba Bavuma (35) fought courageously but in the end it wasn’t enough as India became only the third team in 26 years to defeat SA at Centurion. Mohammed Shami was the star for India with the ball, picking 5/44 and 3/63 in two innings.
The Men In Blue has gotten quite used to pulling off incredible achievements, and in Johannesburg, they will have a golden opportunity to create history by winning their first-ever series in South Africa. The hosts will be desperate to win the match and level the series.
Key players
Jasprit Bumrah is by far the best all-format bowler and can even claim to be the best in red-ball cricket. The right-arm pacer with an unusual action and truckload of skills has been the primary reason behind India’s success in recent years.
Also read 👉 Chopra calls Shami India’s No.1 red-ball pacer; labels Bumrah ‘national asset’
Bumrah has claimed 106 wickets from 25 Tests at an excellent average of 22.34, including six five-wicket hauls. Over 100 of those wickets have come outside the subcontinent. He may have picked only five scalps in the last Test but he produced breakthroughs at important points in the second innings.
Mohammed Shami has become one of the most bankable bowlers in the longest format with consistent performances over the last few years. The right-arm seamer became only the fifth Indian pacer to touch the 200-wicket mark in the last game.
He has snared 203 scalps from 55 matches at 27.01 apiece, including six five-fors. Shami made the most of variable bounce at Centurion and picked eight scalps in the game, playing a crucial role in India’s victory.
Kagiso Rabada has been South Africa’s premier pacer for a while. The right arm pacer has an outstanding Test record to boast of, having picked 220 wickets from 48 matches at an average of 22.54. Rabada has claimed 10 five-fors in an innings, and four 10-wicket hauls in his career.
He took a while to get his radar right in the first innings, picking 3/72 but was excellent in the second, claiming 4/42. Trailing the series by 0-1, SA will need Rabada at his best.
KL Rahul has seen a phenomenal career arc in the last one year and has cemented his place in the Indian side. Rahul has been outstanding at the top of the order in Test cricket since the England tour. Since returning to the side, he has scored 461 runs from five Tests at an average of 46, including two hundreds and a fifty.
Rahul has consistently blunted the new ball and tired out bowling attacks, making things easier for the rest of the unit. He is coming off a ‘player of the match’ performance, scoring a sublime hundred in the first innings of the Centurion Test.
Prediction
The Proteas may have had the upper hand over India in their own backyard historically, but the stats from the past hardly matter here, with both the teams traveling in different directions with regards to development over the last few years.
South Africa have a lot of issues, and the recent shock retirement by Quinton de Kock leaves a big hole in the side. The batting unit has been vulnerable for a while now, and a lot will depend on Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram and Temba Bavuma.
The hosts need to strike the right balance in their bowling unit, which they failed to do in the first game. An attack of Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Duanne Olivier and Marco Jansen could pose a big threat to the Indian batting unit.
India are a driving force because of their outstanding bowling attack of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj and Ravichandran Ashwin.
Ashwin, who was rendered ineffective at Centurion due to the nature of the deck, could do well here. The batting unit is a bit shaky, but the openers have been good. Overall, India look better and should walk out of the Johannesburg Test with an unassailable lead of 2-0.
