Rohit Sharma
experienced the heartbreak of a lifetime at the ODI World Cup final on November 19. But he is determined to overcome the memories of that loss and lead India to their first Test series win on South African soil in 31 years.
The upcoming two-match Test series, beginning on
Boxing Day
, marks India's ninth away series in South Africa since 1992, and captain Rohit faces the challenging task of conquering what has been labeled the team's 'final frontier.'
However, the start of action at Supersport Park depends on the subsiding of heavy rains predicted for the first two days.
The Centurion track, known for variable bounce and high speed, promises a captivating contest between bat and ball amid cooler and windy conditions on an open ground where the ball can behave unpredictably.
In the 50-over World Cup, Rohit had the chance to emulate Kapil Dev and Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Yet, if he and his team can achieve success in this Test series, it would elevate him above his predecessors.
Notably, cricketers like Mohammed Azharuddin, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly,
Rahul Dravid
, MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli won Test matches in South Africa but fell short of securing the elusive series victory.
Rohit faces a challenging task, and a win in this series could act as a soothing balm for the World Cup wounds, even though the scars will linger.
For the golden generation of Indian cricketers, this tour represents their last African safari and an opportunity to achieve what no other team has on eight previous tours.
Facing
Temba Bavuma
's South Africa, India encounter a team with a formidable fast-bowling attack, capable of putting young Indian batters under immense pressure. Yashasvi Jaiswal, in particular, faces his first major challenge against bowlers like Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Marco Jansen and Gerald Coetzee. The increased bounce and variable nature of the pitch will pose probing questions.
Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer, who have excelled on sub-continental pitches, must elevate their game in more demanding batting conditions. Iyer, known for his susceptibility to the short ball, needs to produce something extraordinary.
Coach Rahul Dravid encourages Jaiswal and Gill to maintain their styles but emphasizes the importance of developing game awareness and adapting to the situation at hand.
"We encourage the players to play (in a manner) they feel most comfortable. In the end they are judged by the results they produce. They know that," Dravid said.
But that freedom comes with a rider.
"We want to encourage them in the way they play but also keeping the conditions in mind and certain sort of tactical thing they have to adopt when they play in South Africa.
"The nature of ball, how it behaves over 80 overs, shots that they play early and later on. I think it's about finding balance between having cricket smarts to read the game and understand the situation, and of course allowing to express yourself. Hopefully, they make smart decisions," the coach had said on Christmas eve.
However, when it comes down to it, India's performance hinges on three critical factors: the skipper's proficiency in executing hook and pull shots, the duration Virat Kohli opts to let balls outside the off-stump go untouched and the team's ability to compensate for the absence of Mohmmed Shami.
Mukesh Kumar, displaying a skiddy bowling style, showed promise during practice sessions, but the presence of extra bounce favors the case for Prasidh Krishna.
The batting prowess of Bavuma, the retiring Dean Elgar, the stylish Aiden Markram, the exciting Tony de Zorzi, and the steadfast Keegan Petersen form a formidable unit that could make the Indian bowlers toil relentlessly.
KL Rahul taking on the role of the wicketkeeper adds another layer to this game. The team management's decision to entrust Rahul with 'keeping duties can be interpreted in two ways.
On the positive side, it reflects confidence in his wicketkeeping skills in 50-over cricket, with the hope that he can sustain it for the full 90 overs in a day.
The less optimistic perspective suggests a sheer desperation to avoid losing an additional batter in Iyer. It also overlooks the larger picture, wherein Rahul might struggle against Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja in a month's time against England at home, assuming Ishan Kishan hasn't returned from his mental health break.
Another away Test match might see Ashwin sitting out due to conditions and team combinations once again.
At Supersport Park, achieving results typically takes three and a half to four days. If the toss occurs on the second day after an opening day washout, batting first becomes an exceptionally challenging proposition.
SQUADS
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (wk), Shreyas Iyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Prasidh Krishna, KS Bharat (wk), Abhimanyu Easwaran (2nd Test)
South Africa: Temba Bavuma (c), Aiden Markram, Tony de Zorzi, Dean Elgar, Keegan Petersen, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Tristan Stubbs (wk), Nandre Burger, Marco Jansen, Wiaan Mulder, Gerald Coetzee, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, David Bedingham
English (US) ·