(Cricket news) Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town is all set to host the series decider between India and South Africa. India won the opening Test at Centurion while South Africa came back with a gritty victory in Johannesburg. India have a chance to win a Test series in South Africa for the first time. Virat Kohli will once again lead the side after missing the last game.
India's Possible Playing XI:
KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant, Ravichandran Ashwin, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma.
Virat Kohli has recovered from his injury which means Hanuma Vihari has to unfortunately miss out despite his decent performance in the last game. Despite being under the scanner for throwing his wicket away, Rishabh Pant should retain his place in the side. Mohammed Siraj is unavailable due to the injury he picked up in Johannesburg. India have the option of Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav which is a difficult choice to make. Ishant Sharma is likely to get the nod due to his experience especially in South African Conditions.
South Africa's Possible Playing XI:
Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram, Keegan Peterson, Rassie van der Dussen, Temba Bavuma, Kyle Verreynne, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Duanne Olivier, Marco Jansen.
South Africa wouldn't like to change the winning combination unless it's a forced one. Keshav Maharaj may play a more important role in this game as he may be asked to bowl more overs. Dean Elgar's scintillating performance in the last game would've inspired the entire team. Peterson, van der Dussen and Bavuma showed great signs in the last game. The absence of Mohammed Siraj would be a great plus for the Proteas.
Pitch and Weather Report:
The pitch is expected to be fast bowler friendly and tough work for the spinners. Ravichandran Ashwin might once again look like a surplus but India have been stubborn in their choice of picking 5 bowlers. All 5 days are expected to have a cloud cover with chances of a slight drizzle.
Also read: Biggest game for us in last 10-15 years: Dean Elgar on series decider
