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Match Details
Date: January 3, 2024
Time: 1:30 pm IST
Venue: Newlands Cricket Ground, Capetown
Live Score: SportsTiger App
Follow: SA vs IND Test Live Score | Today Match Prediction
Match Preview
India’s tour of South Africa has been a rollercoaster ride; the Men in Blue settled the T20I series on a 1-1 tie with the hosts. Later in the ODI series, the visitors managed to clinch victory by a 2-1 scoreline. However, in the beginning of the Test series, the Indians seemed to have lost their form and it came as a good initiation for the Proteas. The Rohit Sharma recorded their biggest defeat on the South African soil and lost the first Test by an inning and 32 runs.
Rohit Sharma and Co. would wish for a favourable end to the series and begin the new year on a successful note.
Toss Prediction
In the multi-format series of three T20I matches, three ODI matches, and two Tests, the Indian skipper didn’t manage to win the toss war even once. South African skippers, including Aiden Markram and Temba Bavuma, came on top of all the toss battles over the guest skipper, and it makes us believe that the home ground factor has been playing its charm. In the forthcoming match, we think Dean Elgar will win the toss over Sharma and extend the toss tally to 7-0.
Win Possibility
India and South Africa have played 43 Test matches, where the formers registered victory in 15 games. While the Indians were hoping to change their stats of winning a Test on the South African grounds, it seemed that the hosts were not willing to let go of the records. In the last Test battle between both sides, India was hopeful of recording a historic win but ended up losing the game by an inning and 32 runs, marking their biggest defeat in South Africa.
However, after the big loss, the Indians would aim for a comeback and win the second Test match at Cape Town beginning on January 3 to avoid a series defeat.
Team News
South African skipper Temba Bavuma has been ruled out of the second Test due to a hamstring injury suffered in the first Test. Dean Elgar who led the side for the maximum of the first Test will captain his nation in his final international game, marking a fitting end to his career. In addition, Gerald Coetzee has been ruled out of the game due to pelvic inflammation. The Proteas are yet to announce the replacement.
On the guests’ side, all-rounder Shardul Thakur got hit on the shoulder while practicing in the net session. However, as per reports, he is doing fine and is likely to participate in the match. On the other hand, Ravindra Jadeja is likely to replace Ravichandran Ashwin in the forthcoming match.
Predicted First Inning Score
The Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town has hosted a total of 60 Test matches. The average first-inning score of the ground is 325. South Africa hold the record for the highest total at the venue. According to records and stats, we think that the first-inning score of the forthcoming match will be somewhere between 300-350.
Betting Odds
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