India will seek once again to breach the 'final frontier' for their Test team when they begin a two-match series at SuperSport Park on Tuesday. South Africa is the only regular Test-playing country where India have yet to win a series. India have played a total of 8 Test series in South Africa, out of which 7 went in the Proteas' favour with only one ending in a draw. Ahead of India's upcoming Test series in South Africa, former international batter Sanjay Bangar has opined why the team has not been able to win any Test series there.
"India have not won Test series in South Africa because they play 2 Tests or 3-match Test series. If they get to play four or 5-match Test series, it would reflect in their performance," Bangar said while speaking on Star Sports.
India have question marks over their batting, with Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane no longer in their plans.
Both showed on previous tours an ability to withstand South Africa's fast bowlers on the country's traditionally lively pitches.
South Africa will again be relying on pace to unsettle the Indian batsmen.
Young guns Marco Jansen and Gerald Coetzee played in four-day domestic matches last week but the more experienced Kagiso Rabada (sore heel) and Lungi Ngidi (ankle sprain) both missed the opportunity to get some red-ball cricket.
India will be without fast bowler Mohammed Shami because of injury but Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj will still spearhead a potent attack.
The matches will be the first for South Africa in the 2023-25 World Test Championship cycle.
It's India's second series in the championship after they won one match and drew one against the West Indies in July.
Squads -
India: Rohit Sharma (capt), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wkt), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Prasidh Krishna, KS Bharat (wkt), Abhimanyu Easwaran.
South Africa: Temba Bavuma (capt), Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram, Tony de Zorzi, Keegan Petersen, David Bedingham, Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Verreynne (wkt), Marco Jansen, Wiaan Mulder, Gerald Coetzee, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Nandre Burger.
(With AFP Inputs)