After a disheartening defeat in the 1st Test match, where India succumbed to an innings and 32-run loss against a spirited Proteas team, they are eager to salvage something from the two-match series in the upcoming second Test at Cape Town.
In the previous Test, only KL Rahul and Virat Kohli provided some resistance with the bat. Star batters like captain Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Shreyas Iyer struggled against the formidable South African pace battery led by Kagiso Rabada, Nandre Burger, and Marco Jansen.
The Indian bowlers, including Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Shardul Thakur, and Ravichandran Ashwin, found little success on a challenging surface dominated by the Proteas bowlers. With Avesh Khan now in the squad as a replacement for Mohammed Shami, India is hopeful that the Newlands pitch will provide them with a better opportunity to bounce back in the second test.
Weather Forecast: Favorable Conditions for Play
According to Accuweather, the temperature in the morning is 27 degrees with no chances of precipitation and zero cloud cover. The temperature increases to 28 degrees in the afternoon, and the chances of showers are nil. Fans can hope for an uninterrupted spell of play throughout the day. While the temperature is expected to decrease to 22 degrees in the evening, chances of showers remain minimal.
Pitch Report: Advantage for Pacers
The pitch at Newlands is anticipated to favor the pacers, offering favorable conditions for bowling while presenting a challenge to the batters. Chasing might prove advantageous, considering the bowling-friendly nature of the pitch. The pitch report suggests a composition of 70% pace bowling, 30% spin bowling, and indicates a 40% batting pitch with an average score of 277. It leans towards being a 60% bowling pitch.
Probable Playing XI
South Africa: AK Markram, D Elgar (C), T de Zorzi, Zubayr Hamza, KD Petersen, DG Bedingham, K Verreynne (wk), M Jansen, N Burger, L Ngidi, K Rabada.
Bench: T Stubbs, G Coetzee, KA Maharaj, Wiaan Mulder.
India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, S Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj, JJ Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna.
Bench: RA Jadeja, Mukesh Kumar, AR Easwaran, KS Bharat.
This analysis and playing XI predictions are based on the author's understanding, analysis, and instinct.
