Published: Nov 19, 2015, 11:03 AM (IST)
Edited: Nov 19, 2015, 05:26 PM (IST)
After the second Test at Bengaluru was washed out, the action now shifts to Vidarbha Cricket Association, Jamtha in Nagpur for the third Test between India and South Africa in the ongoing Gandhi-Mandela Series 2015. This will be a crucial Test as an Indian win will seal the series and a South Africa win will level it, with the decider set to be played in Delhi. India welcomed back Ishant Sharma and Stuart Binny back into the playing XI in the Bengaluru Test. With Nagpur being on the pace-friendly side, it will not be surprising to see India retain the same squad. They might look to play it safe by including third spinner Amit Mishra instead of Stuart Binny, keeping in mind the sort of assistance the spinners may get as days go by. Full cricket scorecard: India vs South Africa 2015, 3rd Test at Nagpur
Ajinkya Rahane has looked out of sorts in the two innings so far. With Rohit Sharma performing incredibly well in the domestic matches of late, he might get the nod for the third Test. Cheteshwar Pujara has seemed to have made the No. 3 spot his own for the time being and hence it may force Rahane to sit out due to his lack of form. The selectors might however be tempted to retain him for one more Test to see how he goes. READ: India unchanged for final 2 Tests vs South Africa in Gandhi-Mandela series 2015
The last time India faced South Africa on this ground, Dale Steyn ran through India, claiming 7 for 51 in the first innings and finish the match with 10 to ensure South Africa win the match by an innings. Steyn was not part of the playing XI in Bengaluru but will love to be a part of the Nagpur Test. If he is fit and ready to take field, either of Kyle Abbott or Kagiso Rabada will drop to the bench. The selectors have backed Rabada and will not be surprising if he is picked ahead of Abbott, although the latter is the one with more pace. READ: India vs South Africa 2015: Proteas losing ground in Gandhi-Mandela Series 2015
A juggle in the South African batting order could perhaps do wonders for them. Faf du Plessis has clearly struggled at No. 3 and it will not be a bad idea to have Hashim Amla in that position with du Plessis batting a either No.5 or No. 6. With JP Duminy having regained full fitness, South Africa should not find the need to include another spinner in the side. If they decide to do so, they have Simon Harmer and Dane Piedt at their disposal. Harmer played the first Test at Mohali, but was not particularly effective. Piedt might be a good addition to the playing XI; however the chances of that happening look very bleak.
The Indian team will take a call on the final XI perhaps a day before the match after they take a look at the pitch. It is evident that skipper Virat Kohli prefers Varun Aaron ahead of Umesh Yadav and if he were to choose between the two, Kohli will choose the former to partner Ishant Sharma. However, Kohli could also have the option of going for Bhuvneshwar Kumar under such conditions. He may be able to make full use of the new ball better than Aaron. Plus, Bhuvneshwar also has an excellent record against left-handers. South Africa have Stiaan Van Zyl and Dean Elgar, who are left-handers opening the innings. Middle-order batsman Duminy is also a left-hander. If Bhuvneshwar opens the bowling —which is likely if he plays — he may be able to get the early breakthroughs. READ: South Africa have nothing to take away from washed out 2nd Test vs India, admits Hashim Amla
Kohli is a big fan of playing five bowlers in Tests as he believes that it is bowlers who win Tests. Hence, just to be safe, he might replace Binny with Mishra with Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja being the other two spinners. Bhuvneshwar replacing Aaron, with Ishant retaining his place will ideal at Nagpur. South Africa, on the other hand, will just have to apply themselves a bit better, especially when it comes to batting. They have quality players to do that and do not have to take drastic changes in their side unless injuries forces players out just before the match. However, Steyn, who missed his first Test since 2009 at Bengaluru, will be a welcome addition in the Proteas line-up.
India: Virat Kohli (c), Murali Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane/Rohit Sharma, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Amit Mishra, Bhuvneshwar Kumar , Ishant Sharma.
South Africa: Hashim Amla (c), AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Dean Elgar, Imran Tahir, Morne Morkel, Kyle Abbott/Kagiso Rabada, Dale Steyn, Stiaan van Zyl, Dane Vilas (wk).
(Pramod Ananth is a reporter at CricketCountry. He has represented Karnataka table tennis under-15, and is a hardcore supporter of Liverpool FC. His Twitter handle is @pramz)
