3rd Test, South Africa vs. India, Preview: As visitors look to conquer, all eyes are on Virat Kohli. IND vs. Cape Town SA:
India captain Virat Kohli is poised to return for the finale after missing the second Test due to back spasms. This would be his 99th match in the longest format.
With South Africa's Dean Elgar-led side winning the second Test in Johannesburg, the three-match series against India is well poised, and the decider, which begins on Tuesday in Cape Town, has everything to play for. Virat Kohli, who missed the second Test due to a back spasm, is likely to return for the decider, which would be his 99th appearance in the longest format. In a critical game, Kohli will attempt to reclaim his form and snap a two-year century drought.
In the second game, Hanuma Vihari was allowed to bat in place of Kohli, and the right-handed batter scored an important 40 in the second innings. However, with Rahane and Pujara in good form, Vihari is likely to be omitted if Kohli returns to the team.
Mayank Agarwal and KL Rahul have gotten off to a strong start in this series, and the management is hoping that they can build on their success. In the second innings of the second innings, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane both found some form, and it will now be a matter of staying steady and not throwing the wicket away.
Rishabh Pant, the wicketkeeper-batsman, was rash in the second innings, rushing down into the third ball of his innings and giving away his wicket, prompting head coach Rahul Dravid to admit that there is a need to talk to the batter about shot selection. It would be fascinating to watch if Pant learns from his poor shot and is prepared to put in the effort at the crease.
Another important factor for the visitors coming into the final is Mohammed Siraj's fitness. Midway through the second Test, the pacer suffered a hamstring injury, and it remains to be seen if he recovers in time. If not, one of Ishant Sharma or Umesh Yadav will be called into the side, with Umesh having the upper hand based on his recent form.
Returning to South Africa, the second Test laid the groundwork for the Elgar-led team to follow. For the Proteas, everything came together in this match, with a spirited bowling effort followed up by good batting. If India is to win, it must devise a strategy to remove Proteas captain Elgar from his position.
Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi have also found their stride, and India will need to see out their periods to have a chance of winning. Duanne Olivier also caused problems for the visitors, thus India will have their work cut out for them if they are to win their first Test series on Proteas soil.
India: Virat Kohli (c), KL Rahul, Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara, Priyank Panchal, Hanuma Vihari, Shreyas Iyer, Mayank Agarwal, Rishabh Pant, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Jasprit Bumrah, Jayant Yadav
Dean Elgar (captain), Aiden Markram, Keegar Petersen, Rassie van der Dussen, Temba Bavuma, Sarel Erwee, George Linde, Marco Jansen, Wiaan Mukder, Prenelan Subrayen, Kyle Verreynne, Ryan Rickelton, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Beuran Hendricks, Keshav Maharaj, Glenton
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