Team India eye series win in Pune as they take on South Africa in 2nd Test in 2019 home season
BCCI [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons
India will take on South Africa in the 2nd Test match of the three match series starting from tomorrow. Team India go into this game as the favourites.
Date and Time : 10th-14th October 2019, 9:30 AM IST
Venue : MCA Stadium, Pune
Team India have had a wonderful start to the test series as they thrashed South Africa in Vizag. But they must win this one to ensure that series is theirs.
They will have to play good cricket make no mistake about it. The players need to get on the job as soon as possible in this festive season.
Coach Ravi Shastri will be pleased with the tactics so far. We all know spin is a weakness of the South Africans and in Pune we shall see these tactics again.
The credit though need to be given to the batsmen as well who stool well in front of the SA pacers. And India have some good fast bowling options nowadays.
All contributing factors will be required from tomorrow in Pune for putting smiles on the faces of the Indian fans.
On the other hand, South Africa will be bitterly disappointed that old deficiencies in the subcontinent again surfaced. They need to win over to succeed against India.
If South Africa have to level the series in Pune they will not only have to play good cricket but require some good fortune as well.
South Africa were not bad with their openers although they need to produce good efforts more regularly especially when in Asia.
Faf du Plessis and other batters need to come good as well. While in terms of bowling they need to attack with pace probably to unsettle the Indians although spin will work in these conditions and they have a trio. Good luck to South Africa.
Team news and possible line-ups
Lungi Ngidi is available for South Africa for the Pune test and might get a place in the playing XI.
As for Team India, they are likely going to go with the same XI as in the previous game.
South Africa XI : Elgar, Markram, Bavuma, T. de Bruyn, Du Plessis (C), De Kock (WK), Philander, Muthusamy, Ngidi, Rabada, Maharaj.
India XI : R. Sharma, M. Agarwal, Pujara, Kohli (C), Rahane, Vihari, Saha (WK), R. Jadeja, Ashwin, I. Sharma, Shami.
Prediction
India to win given current run at home and take an unassailable 2-0 lead.
