After the T20I series is done and dusted, both India and South Africa will move to the pristine form of the game. India will like to begin the home season of the Test format on a high and they would like to be at the top of their game. Rohit Sharma will open the innings with Mayank Agarwal and it would be a great opportunity for the right-hander to leave his mark in the Test fold.
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Rohit Sharma has been in sublime form in the white-ball format and he would like to replicate the same magic in the red-ball version. The right-hander has a good record while playing in the home conditions but opening the innings would be a different ball game altogether. Furthermore, the flamboyant batsman was not able to trouble the scorers in the three-day warm-up match against the Proteas.
India will be overwhelming favorites.
On the other hand, South Africa lack the experience on their side. There is no AB de Villiers, no Hashim Amla, no Dale Steyn and thus the young players would need to step up to the opportunity.
The likes of Aiden Markram, Dean Elgar, Quinton de Kock, and captain Faf du Plessis will need to take their game to a new level to savor success in Indian conditions. In fact, there is no doubt that the outcome of the series will depend on how well the Proteas batsmen will play spin.
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Similarly, Keshav Maharaj and Dane Piedt will need to deliver the goods on spin-friendly pitches.
India has suffered a huge jolt even before the series has begun as ace paceman Jasprit Bumrah is ruled out with a back spasm. Thus, it is expected that India would prepare a spin-friendly track. However, the pitch should have a balance betwixt bat and ball.
Match Prediction: India will be overwhelming favorites for the Test series and they are going to attack with spin. There is a lot of firepower in the spin department for the Indian team with Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, and Kuldeep Yadav and they would like to get off the blocks.