Venue: The Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg
Time: 1:30 PM IST
Average score at venue (1st inns): 273
Win percentage while batting first: 66.67%
Pitch conditions:
- The pitch at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg was rated ‘poor’ the last time India and South Africa faced off in 2018. While it can be expected that the surface will be far better this time around, fast bowlers will certainly enjoy bowling on this wicket than they did on a somewhat uneven SuperSport Park in Centurion last week in the first Test.
- The fast bowlers have dominated proceedings thoroughly at the Wanderers Stadium, where they have a wicket-share percentage of 96.3% compared to only 3.7% for the spinners.
Weather prediction:
If anything, the weather can be poorer and threatening for play at Wanderers more than how it was at Centurion, where the teams at least got the opportunity to finish the game even though the entire second day’s play was washed out. There are rains expected on four out of the five days of the second Test match, with the third day, Wednesday, being partly cloudy. The teams will experience temperatures at a high of 27°C and the humidity levels will linger around 75 to 80% on all five days of the second Test.
HEAD-TO-HEAD RECORD (overall):
Matches played: 40
India won: 15
South Africa won: 15
Draw: 10
No result / tied: -
In South Africa:
Matches played: 21
India won: 4
South Africa won: 10
Draw: 7
No result / tied: -
At The Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg:
Matches played: 5
India won: 2
South Africa won: -
Draw: 3
No result / tied: -
Top 3 players from India: KL Rahul, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami
Top 3 players from South Africa: Dean Elgar, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi
Top picks for H2H/WTA conTest (top 5 players each):
Top 5 players from India: KL Rahul, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami, Mayank Agarwal, Mohammed Siraj
Top 5 players from South Africa: Dean Elgar, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Temba Bavuma, Rassie van der Dussen
Q&A:
Should I pick more bowlers, batsmen or all-rounders?
If KL Rahul’s fantastic first-innings century at Centurion is to be taken out of the context, the first Test between India and South Africa was thoroughly dominated by bowlers. For South Africa, Lungi Ngidi claimed 6 wickets in the first innings whereas he added 2 more in the second, wherein the star South Africa fast bowler Kagiso Rabada also chipped in with 3 wickets. On the other hand, Mohammad Shami set up a huge lead for India in the first innings with his splendid 5/44, while he was equally destructive in the second essay in the company of Jasprit Bumrah, who struggled with an ankle-related issue in the first dig. South Africa failed to go past the 200-run mark in both their innings whereas India were bowled out well under 180 in their second innings, having suffered a batting collapse in the first. All this implies that fast bowlers will once again carry huge responsibility and role to play at Johannesburg, whereas batsmen who are in-form such as KL Rahul, Dean Elgar and even Temba Bavuma would be vital to any fantasy cricket playing XI.
From which team should I pick more players in my XI? Which team is stronger?
Indeed, the touring Indian team looks far more formidable and seasoned compared to the South African team, which is staring at a mountain to climb in case they are to prevent Virat Kohli’s team from recording their first-ever series win in their backyard. South Africa were competitive with the ball but they lost the first Test due to their batsmen’s struggles against the relentless Indian bowling attack in either of the two innings, albeit on a pitch that remained slightly conducive to batting. India are certainly the stronger side but no team can be discredited in their home conditions and South Africa, historically a combative side, should be up for challenge in the remaining matches.
MORE INFORMATION: With plenty of rain around, it will be interesting to see what sort of playing XI combinations both India and South Africa go with for the second Test starting on Monday. In order to push for results, bowlers will carry great responsibility while the team that eventually wins would have had at least one good batting innings — like India did in their first essay at Centurion. With de Kock out of the series, Kyle Verreynne is all set to come in as the new wicketkeeper for South Africa, who may also bring in Duanne Olivier after the fast bowler missed the opening Test of the series going to fitness issues. India will be keen to improve their over-rate since they have been docked with one point in the World Test Championship points table, that too playing overseas.
Players’ form: Indian middle-order mainstays Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane will continue to be in the spotlight after mixed performances in the first Test at Centurion. The former India vice-captain Rahane looked replete with intent and embattled to crush all sort of opposition for him to find a place in the playing XI, as he came out firing on all cylinders in both the innings in the first Test. While Pujara suffered his only second golden duck in the first innings at Centurion, it looked like the batsman was lacking both confidence and intent when India were looking for some quick runs on the fourth day. Pujara is in desperate need of a big score as there are other young batsmen knocking on the door for a selection in the Indian Test side. India captain Kohli got out in both the innings at Centurion chasing outside the off stump and the batting maestro would know what needs to be amended and done in order to get himself back among big runs in red-ball cricket.
Changes in squad (if any): YES
Likely XIs:
India: KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Shardul Thakur, Mohammad Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.
South Africa: Dean Elgar (c), Aiden Markram, Keegan Petersen, Rassie van der Dussen, Temba Bavuma, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Wiaan Mulder/Marco Jansen, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Duanne Olivier, Lungi Ngidi.
Fantasy XI: Dean Elgar, KL Rahul (c), Temba Bavuma, Virat Kohli, Rassie van der Dussen, Rishabh Pant, Mohammad Shami, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada/Duanne Olivier, Mohammed Siraj/Lungi Ngidi, Jasprit Bumrah.
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India look to seal Freedom Trophy series win against South Africa
In 5 Test matches that India have played so far at the Wanderers stadium in Johannesburg, they have an impressive record of 3 draws and 2 victories. Having not lost any game so far, this venue is being described as a fortress for India away from home — a rarity for any present-day Test side — but it certainly gives Kohli’s team immense confidence to push on for a series victory, which is their primary goal starting Monday.
In a rain-truncated opening Test for the Freedom Trophy 2021 at the SuperSport Park in Centurion, India trampled South Africa by a huge margin of 113 runs — the second biggest victory in terms of runs over the Proteas side in their backyard. The incumbent world No 1 team will be expected to be clinical and ruthless once again as they look to clinch a series victory — something that was fathomable a few seasons ago.
For India never carried enough firepower across departments to challenge South Africa, who remained one of the most formidable and combative teams in Test cricket for many years. But string of retirements has indeed left the South African Test side heavily depleted, pushing them into a phase of transition wherein they are trying and testing young talent such as Keegan Petersen, Wiaan Mulder and Kyle Verreynne under the captaincy of a dogged Dean Elgar.
South Africa have had an ordinary time in the field across competitions and formats but it is understandable since they are a team which is building itself up from ground level. Still, South Africa have a potential bowling attack with Rabada and Ngidi at the forefront being joined by the impressive Olivier, who by all likelihood, should play in the second Test.
India are certainly a stronger team among these two and should emerge victorious provided significant time is not lost to rains. With the weather said to be unruly for the majority of the contest at wonders, India have their task cut out in order to finish the proceedings and record a series victory at Johannesburg itself, before the caravan moves to Newlands in Cape Town.
And if India are unable to record a victory at Johannesburg, there will be additional pressure given that the third and final Test of the series will be played at Newlands in Cape Town — a venue where India have lost 3 out of 5 Tests so far, including their 72-run defeat on their previous tour in 2018.
There will also be some amount of additional pressure on their troubled captain Kohli, who not only has been struggling for big runs across formats but will also be completing his 100 Test matches at Cape Town.
Rahul remains India's biggest batting hope followed by Mayank Agarwal, given that their middle-order consisting of Kohli, Pujara and Rahane have been mediocre with the bat for more than a couple of years now. Rahane is the only one with a Test century over the last one year or so, with Kohli and Pujara reaching triple-figure marks way back in 2019 — the pre-Covid era.
The shocking retirement of Quinton De Kock from Test cricket has left South Africa with one forced change in form of Verreynne, whereas Olivier should share fast bowling responsibilities with Rabada and Ngidi. On the other hand, the Indian bowling department needs no change with Mohammad Shami and Jasprit Bumrah doing commendable jobs in their big victory at Centurion last week.
South Africa captain Elgar conceded that his team fell short in the first Test owing to poor batting and if the hosts are able to turn around their fortunes, India will face a stiff challenge to their bid for a maiden series win on the tip of Africa.
