SA vs Ind: 3rd Test Preview, Freedom Trophy 2021-22 – Captain Kohli back, Siraj to miss out

The three-match Test series is leveled at one-all

Captain Virat Kohli knocking the ball during practice session (©BCCI/Twitter)

After the heroics from elegant Dean Elgar at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg, the three-match Test series between South Africa and India is leveled at 1-1. India started the series with a great win in Centurion on the back of a substantial first innings score at SuperSports Park.

The third and final Test will be played at Newlands in Cape Town. The batting departments of both teams will be tested. The top-order of India has been weak since the second innings of the Centurion Test. If India aims to win the series at Cape Town, then Rahul and Mayank Agarwal need to bat as they did in the first innings of the Centurion Test. The middle-order of India still needs to be strong.

Virat Kohli is back as India captain; Mohammed Siraj out due to hamstring injury

Virat Kohli will be back as the skipper and number four batter. Hanuma Vihari is likely to make way for the regular skipper in the starting XI. But Kohli definitely needs some runs under his belt for the last Test of the series.

Kohli also confirmed that Mohammed Siraj will miss out in the Newlands Test due to a hamstring injury he picked up in the Wanderers Test.

Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara batted well in the second innings of the Johannesburg Test. They will have to capitalise on their starts and aim to score big in Cape Town. Rishabh Pant has been ordinary in the Test series so far. Many have an opinion of dropping the wicketkeeper for this last Test.

Wriddhiman Saha can walk in if India decide to change their wicketkeeper-batter and Ishant Sharma will be the fourth pace bowler who will replace Mohammad Siraj. Jasprit Bumrah's form will be vital for India's chances. He went wicketless in the fourth innings of the Wanderers Test.

The pitches in South Africa don’t prove handy for the spin bowlers and that may prompt India to go in with an all-out pace attack with Umesh Yadav also being included in the mix. Ashwin has picked up just one wicket while Keshav Maharaj hasn't picked any. So, both the teams should choose a pace bowler instead of a spinner in their team.

Read More: Dissecting Wanderers Test: Moment of glory for South Africa while India missed Captain Kohli

India’s probable Playing XI

KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (C), Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant (WK), Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma

The South African openers did well in the second innings of the Wanderers Test. Elgar was stubborn and gusty to take the Proteas over the line. South African can still win the series if their captain again leads from the front.

Elgar will be the leading man for South Africa in the Cape Town Test. But he will need the same support from Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram and Temba Bavuma in this last Test. The home side’s pace bowlers did a fine job in both the Tests. But in the absence of Anrich Nortje, the Proteas needs a pace bowler instead of Keshav Maharaj. They may include a bowling all-rounder like Wiaan Mulder into the scheme of things.

South Africa’s probable Playing XI

Dean Elgar (C), Aiden Markram, Temba Bavuma, Keegan Petersen, Rasie van der Dussen, Kyle Verreynne (WK), Lungi Ngidi, Wiaan Mulder, Marco Jansen, Duanne Olivier, Kagiso Rabada

Match Details

Match - South Africa vs India - 3rd Test Match

Venue – Newlands in Cape Town

Date/Day – Tuesday, 11th January, 2022 to Saturday, 15th January, 2022

Toss Time – 01:30 PM IST

Match Time – 02:00 PM IST

Head-to-Head Stats between SA vs India at Newlands

Team India have not won a single Test at Newlands in Cape Town. South Africa and India have played five Tests at Newlands from 1993 to 2018. South Africa have won three Tests and two Tests have been drawn at the hallowed venue.

Results of SA vs India Tests at Newlands:

Overall Head-to-Head Stats between SA vs India

• Total matches played: 41 from 1992 to 2022

• South Africa have won 16 Tests

• India have won 15 matches

• A total of 10 games have been drawn

Highest Run-Scorer for India in Cape Town

• Sachin Tendulkar – The Master Blaster has scored 489 runs in four Tests he has played at Newlands. He has an average of 81.05 with two half-centuries and two centuries. His highest score in Cape Town is 169 which he scored on the 1996-97 tour.

Highest Run-Scorer in Freedom Trophy 2021-22 for India

• Kannur Lokesh Rahul – The Karnataka opener has smashed 204 runs in this series' first two Test matches. Rahul scored a magnificent 123 runs at Centurion and 50 runs at The Wanderers Stadium. He has scored these runs at an average of 51.00. Rahane and Agarwal are the other two Indian batters who have crossed the hundred-run mark in this series.

Highest Wicket-Takers for India in Cape Town

• Javagal Srinath – The engineer-turned-cricketer, Javagal Srinath, was India's lead pace bowler in ODIs and Test matches in the 1990s and early 2000s. He has picked up 12 wickets against South Africa in the Protea nation. He took that many wickets with an average of 24.33 and an economy rate of 2.70. His best match-figures are six for 84 and his best innings-figures was four for 33 runs.

Highest Wicket-Taker for India in Freedom Trophy 2021-22

• Mohammed Shami was the highest wicket-taker when India toured South Africa in 2018. In this series, Shami has picked up 11 wickets in just two Tests played till now. He has an average of 19.45 and an economy rate of 3.01. he has a five-wicket haul already in this series. His best match figure is eight for 101 and he has picked up five for 44 runs as his best match figures.

Highest Run-Scorer for South Africa against India in Cape Town

• Jacques Kallis – Jacques Kallis was one of the best all-rounders that the international cricket arena has seen in its history. He has played just two Test matches against India in Cape Town and he has smashed 356 runs with two centuries and one half-century. Kallis had an average of 118.66 in the four innings he played against India at Newlands.

Highest Run-Scorer in Freedom Trophy 2021-22 for South Africa

• Dean Elgar – The South African skipper has been in good nick. He has the most runs under his belt in this series. In two matches and four innings, Elgar has scored 202 runs with 67.33 as average and two half-centuries. His match-winning 96* at Wanderers Stadium is his highest score in this series.

Highest Wicket-Taker for South Africa against India in Cape Town

• Dale Steyn – The Styen Gun has been excellent in the Test matches against India in Cape Town. He has played three Test matches and five innings in Cape Town against India. Dale has picked up 14 wickets against India at this venue. He had an average of 18.35 and an economy rate of 2.55. He has picked up one five-wicket haul and his best match figures are six for 88 runs. His best innings figures is five for 75.

Highest Wicket-Taker in Freedom Trophy 2021-22 for South Africa

• Kagiso Rabada – The South African pace bowler has stepped up in the absence of Nortje. He has picked up 13 wickets in the two matches played so far. Rabada has picked up four for 42 as the best innings figure and seven for 114 as the best match figures in this series. His average is 19.61 and his economy rate is 3.18.

Live Streaming Channels

Disney Plus Hotstar, Fan Code, Jio TV, Live Cricket TV and Live Ten Sports Mobile applications. One can download these mobile applications from the play store on Android phones.

South Africa vs India Test series will be shown worldwide on these TV Channels -

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