A two-Test series in South Africa takes one 10 years back.
In 2013, MS Dhoni had taken a side to the Rainbow Nation for the same number of matches. It was the first overseas assignment for a batting unit comprising Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma and Murali Vijay. Some of them had played abroad, but this was their first test as a collective, after the retirement of Sachin Tendulkar. They gave a fairly good account of themselves against a vaunted pace attack and lost 1-0.
There are similarities in that batting line-up and this one. Kohli and Rohit continue to be in the mix in a set-up where personnel have changed and so have roles. Having started the new World Test Championship cycle with a win in the West Indies, many things have to settle down for India to make the final for the third time in a row.
Yashasvi Jaiswal is set to partner the skipper as opener, with Shubman Gill at No. 3. Shreyas Iyer will look to cement his place at 5, while KL Rahul will don the big gloves in Tests for the first time and bat at No. 6. This is a new test for all four. Needless to say, the pitches will pose a stiff challenge and so will the quick bowlers.
Different challenge altogether
Yashasvi Jaiswal: Scores of 177, 57 and 38 give him an average of 88.66, but South Africa will be different ball game after the West Indies, where he made his Test debut. Hailed as a new-age talent, who averages 81-plus with 10 centuries in 17 first-class games, the player turning 22 on Day 3 of the first Test will encounter something he has not yet. Other than technique against the rising and moving ball, his temperament will come under scrutiny. A free-flowing batter, his ability to hang in there will be tested. There could be periods of bowling outside off, with a packed field on that side. One who goes after short-pitched balls, he could also be challenged to do that on pitches with bounce and pace.
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Points to prove in new role
Shubman Gill: His Test career begins afresh, after he decided to shift to No. 3. In 16 of his first 18 Tests, Gill was the designated opener. The new journey started with 6, 10 and 29 not out in the Caribbean. For all his talent and success in white-ball cricket, he averages 32.20 in Tests. He sure appears to be a better batter than that. He ended a long wait for a century in Bangladesh and made another against Australia in Ahmedabad. Conditions in South Africa will obviously be different. It’s not the best place for a batter trying to get used to a new role. After an impressive debut in Australia, his returns outside the subcontinent have been unsatisfactory. Bettering that will take some doing.
Short-stuff test awaits
Shreyas Iyer: Possibly the player facing the sternest examination. An average of 44 after 10 Tests, with a century on debut and five fifties, suggest here is a capable batter. His real test begins now. In his only outing outside India and Bangladesh, Iyer made 15 and 19 in Birmingham in 2022. Back from injury and with some stylish white-ball runs under his belt, he gets into awkward positions when negotiating short-pitched balls. That’s because he is not always able to leave. Teams have adopted this ploy against him in ODIs. The one-bouncer-per-over rule is not applicable in Test cricket, and Iyer can expect more than a few coming his way. It’s a big opportunity for him to bury this tag, nonetheless.
In a whole new world
KL Rahul: On a third Test tour of South Africa in six years. The first two as an opener were contrasting. A tally of 30 runs in four innings in 2017-18 was followed by a century and a half-century in 2021-22. The game changes totally this time, with Rahul set to bat lower down the order and keep wickets. Few Indians have played such diverse roles. After his debut in another Boxing Day Test in Melbourne nine years ago, Rahul never batted in the middle order in his next 46 appearances. But, as he has shown in ODIs and T20Is, he can adapt. It takes loads of determination and understanding of one’s own game to do that. A similarly successful transition in Test cricket will require a lot more.