Picture Credit: CSA
The third and final Test match between India and South Africa is all set to be played at Newlands, Cape Town. Both the teams will back themselves to get the job done for them and win the series as it stands 1-1 for now. While India took the first match quite comfortably, South Africa bounced back in the second Test. The pitch has assisted the quick bowlers so far in the series but it is unlikely to remain the same in Cape Town.
The weather forecast, however, looks a bit more favourable than the two matches. Notably, both the games saw rain playing a spoilsport. In the first Test, a complete day was washed out while the second Test saw two sessions' play get affected. Rain on the deciding Day 4 played a crucial role in the match result. The pitch got a bit flatter with no movements to pacers. Nonetheless, the series stands levelled and as it looks from the forecast, the first Day of the third Test is going to produce a cracker of a game.
Here is a detailed weather forecast for 11 January 2022
What to expect on Day 1?
The Cape Town pitch is a bit different from the Johannesburg and Centurion pitches. The pitch at Newlands has a history of assisting spinners. The pace and bounce are also linear as compared to the other two. Thus, it will be easier for the batters to play their shots. Also, the chance of a result at Newlands is pretty high as very few games here have ended in a draw.
These are really good signs for Test cricket fans. A match where both teams will go for a win makes it interesting. Talking about the probable change in the playing XIs, India will have their regular captain back in the hut while South Africa are unlikely to make a change in the XI. Apart from Kohli, India will probably bring in Ishant Sharma in place of injured Mohammad Siraj.
