SA vs IND 2nd Test | Playing 11 Prediction, Cricket Tips, Preview & Live Streaming

Can India bounce back at Newlands? (AP Photo)

India have pride and parity at stake after a horrific innings loss in Centurion as they move to Newlands in Cape Town for the second and the final Test of the two-match series against South Africa. 

The Rohit Sharma-led side can't no longer pull off a historic maiden Test series win on Proteas turf but have respect to salvage following an embarrassing loss. 

A victory in the New Year's Test is important for an in-transition side to regain its confidence also as India head deeper into this cycle of the World Test Championship (WTC). 

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SA vs IND: Team Previews 

South Africa

For South Africa, the Test match in Centurion couldn't have gone more perfectly. The Proteas posted a mammoth 408 all out in the first-innings and dismissed the opposition for paltry scores of 245 & 131 either side of it. 

Outbound veteran Dean Elgar produced a vintage knock of 185 while debutant David Bedingham and No.7 Marco Jansen struck promising half-centuries at the crease to propel their side past the 400 mark, which had seemed improbably on a treacherous surface. 

Like Elgar with the bat, Kagiso Rabada was South Africa's stand-out hero on the bowling front, looking ever so unplayable in home conditions to end with astonishing figures of 5 for 59 & 2/32. 

More than Rabada's menacing and ominous presence with the ball, however, the Proteas would've been delighted with the way talented left-arm pacer Nandre Burger (3/50 & 4/33) shaped up on his Test debut. 

India 

India would've been deeply disappointed to have been outskilled and outclassed by the hosts. Neither could their seamers pose a similar threat to their South African counterparts nor did their batters manage to withstand the challenging surface as effectively as Proteas did. 

Bar the duo of Virat Kohli (38 & 76) and centurion KL Rahul in the batting department and the pairing of Jasprit Bumrah (4/69) and Ravichandran Ashwin (1/41), none of the players could come out of the Test feeling they've enhanced their reputations or even lived up to it. 

Embracing transition, India would've hoped for more substance in the middle from the likes of Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna in either skill to take to Cape Town as positive. 

But the team management and selectors would be backing these players in the hope that their experience of undergoing a stiff test in Centurion would only hold them in good stead for Cape Town and beyond. 

SA vs IND: Match Details & Live Streaming

SA vs IND: Newlands Pitch Report

Historically the pitch and overall conditions in Cape Town have been slightly better for batting as compared to other prominent Test venues in the country. However, one shouldn't expect to it play along those lines after an Indian defeat in the first Test on a greenish surface, which gave Proteas seamers enough seam movement and disconcerting bounce to exploit. A similar track could be in the offing as the hosts aim to further exercise their dominance on Indians and end with a critical 2-0 Test series whitewash. 

SA vs IND: Probable Playing XIs

South Africa: Dean Elgar (c), Aiden Markram, Tony de Zorzi, Zubayr Hamza, Keegan Petersen, David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Marco Jansen, Lungi Ngidi, Kagiso Rabada, Nandre Burger

India: Rohit Sharma (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna

SA vs IND: Cricket Exchange Fantasy Tips

SA vs IND: Winner Prediction

South Africa managed to reinforce the difference between the two sides in those conditions with their win in Centurion. The Proteas look too good at this stage to end with any other result than a comprehensive victory. 

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