Subhayan Chakraborty in Cape Town
South Africa dealt a significant blow to India’s aspirations of clinching their maiden Test series victory on South African soil by securing a resounding innings-and-32-run win in the Boxing Day Test in Centurion. As the cricket caravan moves to the picturesque Newlands in Cape Town for the series decider, Rohit Sharma’s men find themselves aiming not only for a historic win at this venue but also to square the series 1-1. The visitors reached Cape Town on Sunday and would be starting their preparation on the very first day of 2024.
India’s tryst with Newlands has been a saga of struggle, having played six Tests at the venue, with two draws providing a semblance of solace amid four defeats. The team’s inaugural Test at Newlands in 1993 ended in a draw, but subsequent encounters witnessed a tussle with adversity. Losses in 1997, 2007, 2018 and 2022 have intensified the challenge for Rohit Sharma’s brigade to rewrite history at this formidable fortress of South African cricket.
In the last Test at Newlands in 2022, India displayed glimpses of resilience but fell short of victory. Batting first, India posted 223, spearheaded by Virat Kohli’s gritty 79. Jasprit Bumrah’s five-wicket haul limited South Africa to 210, giving India a slender lead. Rishabh Pant’s heroics with the bat set a target of 212, but South Africa, propelled by Keegan Petersen’s brilliance, chased it down to claim victory.
Sachin Tendulkar, Indian cricket’s maestro, holds the record for the highest Test runs among visiting batters at Newlands. His 489 runs in four Tests, adorned with two centuries and as many fifties, remain as testament to his quality. Among the current crop, Kohli leads with 141 runs from two matches at an average of 35.25. However, the Indian team.would hope for noteworthy performances from their batting unit and not just Kohli, especially after the batting failures from the likes of Rohit, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer in the Boxing Day Test. Without a resounding batting show, breaching Newlands would remain a distant dream.
In the bowling department, Javagal Srinath emerges as India’s leading wicket-taker at Newlands with 12 scalps. Among active bowlers, Jasprit Bumrah holds a prominent position, boasting 10 wickets at an impressive average of 20.80, including a crucial four-wicket haul. The absence of Mohammed Shami, with seven wickets at Newlands, poses a challenge for India’s bowling arsenal. Rohit and Rahul Dravid, the head coach, were seen keenly following Mukesh Kumar’s bowling drills in the nets at Centurion on Saturday as the pacer bowled 30-40 minutes at full tilt to the Indian captain. His place in the XI is almost a certainty. The spinners have been more or less a supporting act at Newlands, and playing two spinners – Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja – is unlikely.
Zooming out to the broader canvas of head-to-head clashes, India and South Africa have engaged in 43 Test matches. The Proteas maintain the upper hand with 18 victories to India’s 15, with 10 matches culminating in draws. Since the inaugural 1992-93 series, South Africa have dominated at home, securing seven series victories (out of eight) against India. The solitary exception was in the 2010-11 Test series when India managed a commendable draw against a formidable South African side.
As the second and final Test at Newlands beckons, India stand at the crossroads of history and redemption. The stage is set for a riveting climax as India seek to transcend statistical precedents and etch a new chapter in the annals of Test cricket at Cape Town’s revered bastion.
For Sports News Click Here