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JOHANNESBURG : South Africa are hopeful that both fast bowlers Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi will be available for selection in the first test against India that gets underway in Pretoria on Tuesday, coach Shukri Conrad has confirmed.
The batters could be in for some challenging times with the Supersport Park track expected to aid the fast bowlers as rain threat looms large over the opening Test between India and South Africa, curator Brain Bloy said on Saturday. The Centurion curator said that there is little possibility of play on opening day and better part of second day and due to heavy rain, there will be drop in temperature and spinners are unlikely to get much help.
Mohammed Shami's absence will certainly leave a gaping hole in India's planning but former South African pacer Fanie de Villiers believes that Rohit Sharma's men have the best chance of ending a 31-year wait for a Test series win in the Rainbow Nation. De Villiers, once a well-known exponent of the slower delivery in white ball cricket and Allan Donald's worthy new ball partner till the mid 1990s, complimented Jasprit Bumrah, Shami and Mohammed Siraj for being a pace unit that has understood the importance of line more than length in pacer-friendly conditions, unlike some of the earlier India attacks.
The best combination as per conditions isn't always a team's best eleven and it will certainly be a struggle for India to find the right blend going into the opening Test against South Africa on 'Boxing Day'. At least two slots will give head coach Rahul Dravid sleepless nights. The tethering issues for India will be KL Rahul being asked to keep wickets to bolster the batting and the tricky task of choosing between Mukesh Kumar and Prasidh Krishna to replace the literally irreplaceable Mohammed Shami, who is recuperating from an ankle niggle.
India batter Ruturaj Gaikwad has been ruled out of the upcoming two-match Test series against South Africa, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on Saturday. The first Test of the two-match series between India and South Africa will begin on Boxing Day at the Centurion, with the second Test set to begin on 3 January in Capetown. Gaikwad suffered an injury to his right ring finger while fielding in the second ODI against South Africa in Gqeberha.
JOHANNESBURG : Top order India batter Ruturaj Gaikwad was ruled out of the two-test series in South Africa on Saturday, with Abhimanyu Easwaran drafted in as his replacement.
India all-rounder Hardik Pandya's ankle injury, which he suffered during the World Cup, is likely to rule him out of the upcoming T20I series, while the player participation in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) remains a doubt. NDTV sources have confirmed that Hardik will miss the T20I series against Afghanistan on home soil, and the newly-appointed Mumbai Indians captain might not recover in time to lead the team in the 17th season of IPL.
Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya could miss the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) due to an ankle injury, NDTV sources confirmed on Saturday. This comes after Hardik was traded to Mumbai Indians from Gujarat Titans ahead of the IPL players auction. The players was initially named in the retention list by GT, but was traded to MI ahead of the auction as part of an all-cash deal. NDTV sources have confirmed that Hardik will miss the upcoming T20I series against Afghanistan, while his participation in the upcoming season of IPL remains a doubt.