Indian cricket team will be looking to finish the year 2023 on high as they clash against South Africa in the first Test match in Centurion starting on December 26. The highly-anticipated Boxing Day Test brings a mouth-watering clash between the world no.1 red-ball team and the Proteas.
South Africa have always proven a team to beat at home in Test cricket and boasts a brilliant head-to-head record against India. They have dominated the Men in Blue with 12 wins in 23 Test matches played at home and have suffered defeat in just four matches so far.
India suffered a 1-2 defeat in the last Test series against South Africa under Virat Kohli's leadership in January 2022. Now Rohit Sharma-led side enters this tournament after impressive performances across formats this year and are tipped favourites to end their wait for the maiden Test series win in the Rainbow Nation.
The former South African captain AB de Villiers has also backed team India to emerge victorious in the upcoming series. He highlighted India's improved pace attack and believes that will make the difference in this series.
“Indian team has arrived in South Africa with its best ever chance (to win a series)," AB de Villiers said. "For the first time they have got fast bowlers, who can bowl 'the line' and not just hit the length. India have been coming for many years but very few of your fast bowlers were line bowlers. But now you have Bumrah and Siraj. Yes, I agree that Shami not playing makes a massive difference. But Siraj and Bumrah are bowlers who can bowl line, whereas South African bowlers bowl from off to leg stump.”
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, 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, Kyle Verreynne (wk)
