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JOHANNESBURG : KL Rahul is likely to don the wicketkeeper gloves for India in the first Test against South Africa that begins in Pretoria on Tuesday, despite having started only one first class match in the role in the past.
Ahead of India's first Test against South Africa at Centurion, Indian head coach Rahul Dravid said on Sunday that the series being a short, two-match affair leaves India with less time to bounce back from any adversity and the team is motivated to roar back into their winning ways following the dissapointment of ICC Cricket World Cup final loss to Australia. India will kickstart the two-match Test series against South Africa with the first Test at Centurion from Tuesday onwards. For many seniors like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah, this will be their first international assignment following the loss to Australia in the World Cup finals last month.
It has now been more than a month since the forgettable World Cup final but it still hurts like hell. However, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are two battle-hardened professionals who know that it's important to move on as they sweated it out in companionable silence. There's a 31-year jinx in Indian cricket having missed out on a Test series win in the 'Rainbow Nation' and in the twilight zone of their careers, both would want to achieve which no other Indian teams could. While Kohli, who came back from London after a short break with family, joined the training after half an hour, Rohit did look a bit more relaxed after shutting himself off for three weeks.
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.
Shubman Gill was at his silken best during Indian team's intra-squad training game at the Tuks Oval on Thursday even though there wasn't an opportunity to get a glimpse of that enchanting sight. Coming in at No. 3, Gill helped himself to a hundred on the second day of the three-day match, playing all the bowlers with consummate ease, adding a dash of confidence in him ahead of the two-match Test series against South Africa beginning on December 26.
Former India captain Rahul Dravid's son Samit dazzled for Karnataka in their Cooch Behar Trophy match against Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) on Wednesday. The 18-year-old played an exceptional knock of 98, taking Karnataka to a win by an innings and 130 runs. Apart from his exploits with the bat, Samit, who is also an handy bowler, picked up three wickets in the match against J&K. In a viral video, Samit was seen showcasing some exquisite cover drives, reminiscent of his father's style.
India head coach Rahul Dravid wasn't a happy man after seeing Shubman Gill lose his wicket in the 3rd T20I against South Africa after failing to review an LBW call. Gill did consult the matter with his non-striker partner Yashasvi Jaiswal, who also seemed to have voted against the idea of using a DRS referral. But, when the replay was shown on the big screen, it was found out that Gill would've survived the LBW call, leaving the Indian camp, including head coach Rahul Dravid frustrated.
The 21st Apex Council Meeting of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will be held on December 18. However, BCCI still hasn't announced the venue and time of the meeting. According to a release from BCCI, the Agenda of the meeting are: Confirmation of Minutes of the 20th Apex Council Meeting, Discussion on Sponsorship for BCCI Matches, Update on the appointment of a Service Provider for Video Equipment to cover domestic matches, and To consider any other business which the Chairperson may consider necessary to be included in the agenda.