It’s only been a little more than a day since the first test between South Africa and India ended, but a lot has transpired in that time. India began the series as favorites, and they remain such, but South Africa shown that they are not far behind and can pose a challenge in the series’ second match.
India will face South Africa in the second match of the series on January 3rd, 2021, with the chance to win the first-ever test series on South African soil. The match will take place at Johannesburg’s Wanderers Stadium. Despite the fact that there was little time between the two matches to recover, both teams will return with renewed vigor. This match is expected to be much tighter than the first, and it is absolutely not one you should miss.
In the opening match against the Indians, South Africa showed numerous flaws, but there were also many moments of brilliance. With a much smaller margin of loss than it appeared after the first day’s play, South Africa would know that putting in a little more effort or making a few less mistakes in the second match may put them in a better position.
South Africa
South Africa was defeated by 113 runs in the first match at Centurion, something that hasn’t happened in the past. One of the primary reasons for South Africa’s failure was that they were dismissed twice before reaching the 200-run mark. Their performance demonstrated the importance of getting off to a good start, whether with the bat or with the ball, and they are likely to be more aggressive from the start in the upcoming encounter.
The Proteas were also guilty of bowling outside the off-stump for the whole of the first session, which allowed Mayank Agarwal and KL Rahul to get their eyes in. But it wasn’t all doom and gloom for the Proteas. As seen by India’s collapse in the first innings and their below-par score in the second, their bowlers were all over Indian batsmen once they regained their rhythm.
Quinton de Kock has announced his retirement from the longest form of the game for unexplained reasons, and his departure will be felt. Not only may his knowledge have helped him appraise the scenarios, but he also appeared in good shape both times he batted. To replace Quinton de Kock, either Kyle Verreynne or Ryan Rickleton will be called upon.
In the first round, Marco Jansen was chosen ahead of Duanne Olivier, and it will be intriguing to watch who plays in the next encounter. If the weather circumstances are similar to the first game of the series, we might see both of them on the field with Keshav Maharaj sitting.
As the match continued, a number of things started to fall into place for the Proteas, and they now appear to be a far better side than they were when the competition began. Dean Elgar and Temba Bavuma both batted well and will be difficult to contain in the upcoming encounter. Aiden Markram had a quiet game and will be looking to redeem himself in Johannesburg. With the exception of de Kock’s absence and some inexperience in the middle, the Proteas appear to be at ease with the bat.
They seem even better in the bowl, especially now that Rabada, Jansen, and Ngidi have found their stride. Duanne Olivier will most likely be South Africa’s weak link in the forthcoming match, but if he can hold his own, the team should do well with the ball as well. Overall, we expect South Africa to do better in the forthcoming match, and if their batsmen can deliver, they will be in business.
India
India’s visit of South Africa could not have started any better. First and foremost, Virat Kohli won the toss for the first time in his career, and the Indian top-order did admirably to back up his decision. The way India batted on the first day of the match, with Mayank Agarwal and KL Rahul leading the charge, undoubtedly set and decided the match. Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane made cameo appearances to help India finish the day on a strong note.
Apart from the first day, the two sides didn’t have anything in common, and India was well aware of this. Indian batting didn’t look ready against the moving ball on the third day after the second day was washed out owing to rain, and they were eventually dismissed for a score that was a lot lower than they would have targeted after the first day.
India’s batsmanship in the second innings was not much different from their performance on the third day, but it sufficed. It wasn’t easy batting, but modest cameos from KL Rahul, Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant, and Virat Kohli boosted India’s advantage to over 300, which proved too much to overcome.
Even while we expect India to win the forthcoming tournament with no changes, there are a few areas of worry that they should address. Chetershwar Pujara’s recent form has been poor, and with the position he bats in for his team, runs from his bat will be important. In addition, India would be expecting for more than a cameo from Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane in the new year. Apart from that, India’s batting appears to be in fine shape, especially now that Ravi Ashwin and Shardul Thakur are available to bat at number seven and eight, respectively.
After the first day of play, India had the upper hand, however the match was decided by India’s bowling unit. Both Mohammad Shami and Jasprit Bumrah bowled beautifully and will be looking forward to playing in Johannesburg. Mohammad Siraj was fantastic as the third bowler, never taking his foot off the accelerator pedal and giving the Proteas any relief they might have hoped for. As fourth and fifth bowlers, Thakur and Ashwin did a good job, allowing India to assault aggressively in search of wickets.
On paper, India appears to be a well-oiled machine, with nearly all bases covered. In terms of performance, India will be a confident team going into the second match, especially following their recent away performances, which included that first-match win. Their batting may have been questioned, but cameos from Pant and Rahane in the first match would have instilled some confidence.
Overall, not only is this Indian team perfectly balanced on paper, but they also have momentum behind them. This is a chance to make history by winning the first-ever series in South Africa, and there will be a lot of pressure on the team. If their batting performs well and they are able to handle the pressure, defeating them will be an extremely difficult task.
DREAM11 PREDICTION
- WICKET-KEEPER:
- Rishabh Pant
- BATSMEN:
- Virat Kohli (VC)
- Dean Elgar
- Mayank Agarwal
- Temba Bavuma
- KL Rahul (C)
- Aiden Markram
- ALL-ROUNDERS:
- Wiaan Mulder
- BOWLERS:
- Mohammad Shami
- Jasprit Bumrah
- Kagiso Rabada