Rain threatens the begin of the India vs. South Africa Test in Centurion, with cooler temperatures elevating issues for spinners. If the pitch stays lined resulting from rain, batting first may very well be difficult for each groups.
As South Africa gears as much as host India in the essential Boxing Day Test at Centurion’s SuperSport Park, all eyes are on the pitch circumstances that would considerably affect the end result of the match. Scheduled to begin on Tuesday, December 26, this Test holds explicit significance for India, aiming for their elusive Test collection win in South Africa.
India’s latest monitor report in South Africa, with solely 4 wins in 23 Test matches, provides to the anticipation surrounding this collection. Notably, India clinched victory in three of their final 5 Test encounters towards South Africa, together with a memorable Boxing Day conflict at SuperSport Park throughout the 2021/22 tour underneath the management of Virat Kohli.
Led by Rohit Sharma, the Indian facet is poised to showcase a new-look enjoying XI, with notable absentees similar to Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Mohammed Shami. On the South African entrance, the return of premier pacers Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi, who missed the white-ball collection towards India, provides depth to their bowling assault, with teenager Tristan Stubbs in competition for a Test debut.
SuperSport Park, Centurion Pitch Overview :
Centurion’s SuperSport Park historically favors tempo bowlers in red-ball cricket, and the pitch curator has affirmed that each groups can anticipate a floor conducive to seam and bounce from Day 1. India’s head coach, Rahul Dravid, has additionally acknowledged the chance of additional bounce and seam motion, setting the stage for a difficult encounter for the batsmen.
Historically, pacers have dominated at SuperSport Park, and each groups are anticipated to include further tempo choices of their bowling assault for the Boxing Day Test. However, as the ball ages, batsmen are anticipated to seek out alternatives to attain massive runs. Weather circumstances may play a vital position, with rain anticipated to make an look on the first two days. This may lead to seamers exploiting moisture on the floor from Day 3 onwards, including an extra layer of complexity to the recreation.
In essence, the SuperSport Park pitch is poised to supply an intriguing battle between bat and ball, with seamers relishing the circumstances early on and batsmen discovering their rhythm as the match progresses. The potential affect of climate dynamics additional provides an component of unpredictability, promising an enthralling begin to the Test collection
SuperSport Park, Centurion – The Numbers Game
Test Stats
Total Test matches – 28
Matches received batting first – 13
Matches received bowling first – 11
Average 1st Inns scores – 329
Average 2nd Inns scores – 316
Average third Inns scores – 230
Average 4th Inns scores – 162
Highest complete recorded – 621/10 by South Africa vs Sri Lanka in December 2020
Lowest complete recorded – 101/10 by England vs South Africa in February 2003
IND vs SA, 1st Test Squads:
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
South Africa Test squad: Temba Bavuma (c), David Bedingham, Nandre Burger, Gerald Coetzee, Tony de Zorzi, Dean Elgar, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Keegan Petersen, Kagiso Rabada, Tristan Stubbs (wk), Kyle Verreynne (wk)
