Following the ongoing T20 series with Australia, the Indian cricket team is set to embark on a tour of South Africa, where they will compete across all three formats. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced Team India’s squad on November 30, appointing different captains for each format.
India’s squad for 2 Tests: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan (wk), KL Rahul (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Mohd. Shami*, Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Prasidh…
— BCCI (@BCCI) November 30, 2023
Rohit Sharma will take the helm as the Test captain, with KL Rahul leading in ODIs and Suryakumar Yadav taking charge of the T20s. The most significant challenge for both the Indian team and skipper Rohit Sharma will be the Test series in South Africa, where they aim to overturn history.
India’s Test Records in South Africa
Sadly, the Indian cricket team has struggled in Test matches on South African grounds. To date, no Indian captain has managed to secure a Test series victory in Africa. Rohit Sharma faces a considerable challenge in altering this history. Out of 23 Test matches played in South Africa, India has claimed victory in only four matches.
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India’s first Test series on South African soil took place in 1992, and since then, they have consistently faced defeat in every series. In contrast, South Africa has emerged triumphant in 12 Test matches against India on their home turf. Despite changes in leadership over the years, India’s Test cricket record in South Africa remains unaltered.
Rohit Sharma’s Historic Ambition!
Rohit Sharma carries the weight of expectations to reverse this historical trend in South Africa, backed by a promising current team lineup. Despite notable exclusions like Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara from the Test series squad, India features batsmen like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ishan Kishan, and Shreyas Iyer, all in excellent form.
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The selectors’ decision to overlook Rahane and Pujara has raised eyebrows. However, considering their current form and the performance of the selected players, the decision seems justifiable. The recent form of Rahane and Pujara has not been noteworthy. Indian batsmen have often faced pressure in Test cricket on South African soil, but with substantial changes in the batting order and captaincy, there is high anticipation and hope from this new team among fans and experts alike.
