After a comprehensive 203-run victory in the first Test in Visakhapatnam, Virat Kohli and his men will aim to seal the series when they take on South Africa in the second Test in Pune.
Rohit Sharma was the star of the first game in the series as the Mumbai batsman, who played as an opener for the first time in the longest format, ended with a hundred in both the innings. The batsman was adjudged the Man of the Match. While Mayank Agarwal scored a double-century in the first innings, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Shami stepped up in the bowling department.
South Africa gave India a scare during the third day of the game when the experience of Dean Elgar, Faf du Plessis and Quinton de Kock aided in the visitors putting up a strong total in the first innings. However, the Proteas fell like a pack of cards in their chase, thanks to Shami and Jadeja's brilliant use of the pitch's depleted condition on the final day.
As both the sides prepare for the second Test of the series, let's take a look at the weather forecast and the probable playing XIs for both the sides.
Weather forecast in Pune:
The weather forecast for the game doesn't look exactly inspiring at the moment. Rain is highly expected to interrupt play in the first two days of the Test, and showers are likely to take place in the rest of the days as well.
"Strong westerlies from the Arabia sea bringing more moisture leads to heavy downpours over Konkan, Goa and parts of Madhya (central) Maharashtra," Anupam Kashyapi, the head of IMD Pune, had said earlier.
According to Accuweather, rain is likely to affect play in the second and third sessions on the first day of the Test as thunderstorms are expected between 1-3 PM. On the next day, there are possibilities of the third session being washed out. Such showers are also expected to affect the pitch conditions.
Probable Playing XI:
While pitch conditions do play a role, India are likely to go with the same team after impressive performances from the bowling department. However, we can expect changes in the South African side if Pune offers a green top. With cloud cover, an extra pacer might be a possibility for the visitors. The Proteas tweaked with their tactics in the first game, playing three spinners and two pacers, but to no avail. This can change in the second Test.
India: Mayank Agarwal, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami
South Africa: Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram, Theunis de Bruyn, Temba Bavuma, Faf du Plessis, Quinton de Kock, Senuran Muthusamy, Vernon Philander, Keshav Maharaj, Dane Piedt/Lungi Ngidi, Kagiso Rabada
