IND vs SA, 2nd Test | Key Player Battles to Watch Out For

image-lqwaizusIndia must win the Cape Town Test (AP Photo)

The final showdown of the two-match Test series between Dean Elgar's South Africa and the Rohit Sharma-led India is set to unfold in Cape Town. Despite their aspirations for a historic tour, the Indian team now aims to salvage the series with a victory in the last Test.

Having fallen short in their quest for a Test series win in South Africa after an innings defeat in the first Test, the Indian team eyes redemption in the second Test scheduled in Cape Town starting Wednesday. To overturn their losing streak, Rohit Sharma needs to lead by example, letting his bat do the talking. 

In the quest to level the series, key players like Rohit, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul need to showcase their resilience, especially after the disappointing surrender in the initial Test. 

On the South African front, little change is expected in their approach after a clinical performance in the first Test. They proved to be aggressive with both bat and ball, backed by verbal exchanges, involving Marco Jansen and KL Rahul. The Proteas aim to adhere to their successful process and disrupt India once again.

As the top two teams clash, expectations are high for a fierce contest, and the series has witnessed the emergence of new rivalries. With minimal changes expected in both line-ups, the upcoming Test promises to showcase intense on-field battles once more.


Dean Elgar vs Jasprit Bumrah

It would be fair to say that Elgar single-handedly dismantled India’s bowling attack with his marathon innings of 180. Playing to his reputation of being ‘gritty’, Elgar smashed his best score against India.

Elgar owns two centuries and three fifties at Cape Town's Newlands Cricket Ground. The experienced campaigner has amassed 741 runs at this venue from 11 Tests at 46.31. The visitors will want their ace speedster Jasprit Bumrah to make full use of the new ball and dismiss Elgar early in his innings.

Bumrah has bowled 355 deliveries to Elgar in Test cricket, with the experienced opener scoring just 139 runs and being dismissed as many as four times. The left-handed batter scored 27 off 54 Jasprit Bumrah deliveries in the first Test.


Rohit Sharma vs Kagiso Rabada

Rohit performance in South Africa has been disappointing, with just 128 runs in 10 innings at an average of 12.80. A significant factor contributing to Rohit's struggles has been Kagiso Rabada, who dismissed him in both innings of the first Test. Since India's tour in early 2018, Rabada has dismissed Rohit five times out of six innings on South African soil.

As India enter the must-win second and final Test in Cape Town, Rohit must find a way to tackle Rabada. One approach could be to exercise more caution while playing the pull shot, especially when fielders are strategically positioned in the deep third-man or deep fine-leg region. Rabada might attempt to lure Rohit into playing the pull shot again, as it resulted in Rohit's dismissal in the first innings in Centurion.


Virat Kohli vs Nandre Burger

Having fallen in his 30’s during the first innings, Kohli showed his class with an impressive half-century in the second innings, particularly at a time when other batters were struggling. Despite his remarkable performance, Kohli fell short of securing his third Test hundred in South Africa.

Nandre Burger emerged as a significant threat to the Indian batters after his remarkable debut in Centurion, where he claimed seven wickets. Kohli faced 42 deliveries from the left-arm seamer, managing to score 36 runs at a strike-rate exceeding 80. While Burger couldn't dismiss Kohli in the first Test, he posed considerable challenges for the Indian stalwart. 

To address this, during an optional training session at Newlands, Kohli dedicated a substantial part of his practice to refine his skills against left-arm pace, with a specific focus on facing Burger.