Match details
Series/tournament name: India vs South Africa Tests
Venue: Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy ACA VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam
Date: October 2-6, 2019
Time: 9:30 a.m. IST
Preview:
South Africa return to India after a humiliating loss in 2015 when they lost 3-0. After a series win at home in 2018, the Proteas will hope to test India early in the series with the first Test set to be played at Vizag. The Indians are back at home for a series after their overseas assignments in 2018 and will play a series of five matches at home involving Bangladesh and West Indies aside from the South African tour in the offing.
Weather report: Rain is in the forecast on all five days and we could well see a curtailed game at Vizag.
Pitch report: The pitch is expected to be on the slower side although it isn't expected to be as quickly deteriorating as the pitches in the 2015 series.
Injuries and replacements:
Rishabh Pant dropped, Wriddhiman Saha picked.
Probable Playing XI:
India: Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami
South Africa: Aiden Markram, Dean Elgar, Theunis de Bruyn, Faf du Plessis (c), Temba Bavuma, Zubayr Hamza, Quinton de Kock (wk), Vernon Philander, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Dane Piedt
Top picks:
Wicket-keeper: Wriddhiman Saha (8
Match details
Series/tournament name: India vs South Africa Tests
Venue: Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy ACA VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam
Date: October 2-6, 2019
Time: 9:30 a.m. IST
Preview:
South Africa return to India after a humiliating loss in 2015 when they lost 3-0. After a series win at home in 2018, the Proteas will hope to test India early in the series with the first Test set to be played at Vizag. The Indians are back at home for a series after their overseas assignments in 2018 and will play a series of five matches at home involving Bangladesh and West Indies aside from the South African tour in the offing.
Weather report: Rain is in the forecast on all five days and we could well see a curtailed game at Vizag.
Pitch report: The pitch is expected to be on the slower side although it isn't expected to be as quickly deteriorating as the pitches in the 2015 series.
Injuries and replacements:
Rishabh Pant dropped, Wriddhiman Saha picked.
Probable Playing XI:
India: Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami
South Africa: Aiden Markram, Dean Elgar, Theunis de Bruyn, Faf du Plessis (c), Temba Bavuma, Zubayr Hamza, Quinton de Kock (wk), Vernon Philander, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Dane Piedt
Top picks:
Wicket-keeper: Wriddhiman Saha (8 credits)
He isn't the most popular choice with Quinton de Kock available and in form after the T20Is but Saha is a top wicket-keeper with a reasonably good batting record and will be eyeing a more consistent place behind the stumps ahead of Rishabh Pant now that the management has given him a go.
Batsman: Temba Bavuma (8.5 credits)
A reasonably good player of spin, Temba Bavuma has been a prominent presence in South Africa's spin camps in India. The middle-order batsman has a golden chance to stamp down his Test credentials this series and has started the tour well with a couple of good knocks in the T20Is.
All-rounder: Ravichandran Ashwin (9.5 credits)
In 2015, Ashwin grabbed 31 wickets in three Test matches against the Proteas and picked up five four-plus wicket hauls in seven innings. It isn't beyond him to replicate that performance this series given that he has a point to prove after being dropped in the West Indies to play Ravindra Jadeja.
Bowler: Keshav Maharaj (8.5 credits)
South Africa are in India with a frontline spinner who can lead their attack in Asian conditions and sitting him out in your fantasy team would be a folly given how left-arm spinners have had success against India in recent times. Maharaj grabbed a nine-wicket haul in Sri Lanka last year in his only tour prior to this in Asia.
Captaincy options: Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Virat Kohli
Dream11 team:
Disclaimer: The views expressed here are of the author and is not a reflection of the actual points you might earn.
