SA vs IND: India picked Mukesh Kumar, while South handed Tristan Stubbs his maiden cap after winning the toss and electing to bat first against India in the final Test of the 2023/24 Test series at Newlands, Cape Town.
India named two changes, bringing in Ravindra Jadeja for R Ashwin, while Shardul Thakur made way for pacer Mukesh Kumar. Ashwin and Thakur both had played at the Centurion Test match and fared poorly, failing to make a mark with either bat or ball.
For South Africa, Lungi Ngidi replaced Gerald Coetzee, who was ruled out of the New Year’s Test due to pelvic inflammation. Meanwhile, the uncapped Tristan Stubbs replaced captain Temba Bavuma, who is out with a hamstring injury.
In another change, the hosts dropped batter Keegan Petersen, the highest run-scorer from their last 2021/22 home series against India, to accommodate left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj in the playing XI. Maharaj didn’t play in the first match as South Africa went with a four-pronged pace attack.
Dean Elgar, playing the final match of his career, will captain South Africa in Bavuma’s absence. The home side will be banking on Elgar to replicate his exploits from the series opener, where he made a sound 185 to help South Africa post 408 in reply to India’s 245 in the first innings before bowling out the tourists cheaply for 131 in the second innings to win by an innings and 32 runs.
SA vs IND Second Test playing XIs
South Africa XI: Dean Elgar (c), Aiden Markram, Tony de Zorzi, Tristan Stubbs, David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Nandre Burger, Lungi Ngidi
India XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Mukesh Kumar.
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