South Africa vs India 1st Test Match Prediction & Betting Tips
Having picked up wins in Australia and England, India sets their sight on their first series win in South Africa. Can South Africa stop this Indian juggernaut? Read our preview as the mouth-watering series kicks off at Super Sports Park in Centurion at 1:30 PM IST on December 26.
The series is being seen as India's final frontier. And why not? The Virat Kohli-led has been in staggering form in the last few years. The emergence of the fast bowling unit has made India a potent and daunting opposition away from home.
South Africa have never lost a series against India at home but this Indian team will pose a serious threat to them, especially given their recent form.
Post the retirement of their guns, South Africa have not been the same team it used to be. However, any team that's playing at home has a slight advantage. Also, they have a strong bowling attack and given India's vulnerabilities in batting, they will be hoping for some favourable results.
The challenge though will be to score runs against strong Indian bowling. The likes of Dean Elgar and Temba Bavuma will have to play a big role. Quinton de Kock will not be part of the first two Tests. Also, Anrich Nortje has been ruled out of the series owing to injury.
Meanwhile, for India, they too have issues in their batting. The likes of Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara are not in the best of form. The cornerstone of their success in England were Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul, who were absolutely sensational against the new ball. However, Rohit's injury means that India will have to open with a new combination, possibly, Rahul and Mayank Agarwal.
The series could also be the final opportunity for Pujara and Rahane to save their place in the team. The bowling looks as lethal as ever and India's success in the series will rely on the form of Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj.
South Africa vs India 1st Test Match Live Streaming
The series will be broadcasted on Star Network in India.
Live Streaming: Live streaming of the series will be available on Disney Hotstar
SA vs IND Match Toss Prediction
Chasing teams have struggled to chase even 200 in the fourth innings at this ground and neither India nor South Africa are very confident about their batting at the moment. We feel both skippers will be keen to bat.
SA vs IND Pitch Report
The surface will offer plenty of help for the fast bowlers on the first two days. Day 3 and 4 should be the best to bat
Weather Report
Day 1, 2 and 5th have plenty of rain predicted which is not a great news for the cricket fanatics. As per weather prediction, there is 50 per cent chance of rain on Day 1, 100 per cent on Day 2 and 60 per cent on the final day.
Read on for team previews, betting tips, latest odds, and match prediction for South Africa vs India 1st Test Match 2021
South Africa Team News & Playing 11
SA Team News
Quinton de Kock will miss the first two matches as he is on paternity leave. Anrich Nortje has also been ruled out due to injury.
SA Key Players
- Dean Elgar - The skipper will have to play a big role for the hosts. He is the only batter who has proven his credentials as a Test batter. Also, he is an opener which makes him even more important. A good series for Elgar will help South Africa challenge the daunting opposition.
- Rassie van der Dussen - Dussen is predominantly a One Day batter but has made it to the South Africa Test side on account of some fine performances in the domestic circuit. In South Africa's previous Test series against West Indies, he was the team's second-highest run-scorer with 125 runs in 2 games.
- Lungi Ngidi - Ngidi will pose a threat to the Indian batters for sure, probably more than Kagiso Rabada. His height is an advantage to him, especially in Centurion where there is some extra bounce on the surface.
SA Team Form
South Africa's last Test series was against West Indies in West Indies which they won 2-0
South Africa Predicted Playing 11
Dean Elgar (c), Aiden Markram, Temba Bavuma, Rassie van der Dussen, Kyle Verreynne, Quinton de Kock (wk), Wiaan Mulder, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Duaan Olivier, Lungi Ngidi
India Team News & Playing 11
IND Team News
The visitors will be without the services of Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja, who are out due to injuries. Also, Shreyas Iyer is likely to start ahead of Anjinkya Rahane.
IND Key Players
- KL Rahul - Rahul has been in sensational form across formats for India. While every Indian batter struggled in England, Rahul looked at complete ease against a quality pace attack. The batter has been promoted as the vice-captain of the side and a lot of India's success depends on him.
- Virat Kohli - Kohli has been struggling in the last year or so. He hasn't scored a century in any format since 2019. Also, the recent controversy where he was sacked as ODI captain must have hurt him. He has a point to prove thus will be even more determined to make a statement in the series. We feel Kohli will have a big series against South Africa.
- Mohammed Shami - India's fast bowling group has been the reason for their success overseas. Shami is the only Indian bowler that relies on seam movement rather than swing, and the wicket aids seam bowling which makes Shami a lethal weapon.
IND Team Form
Team India has been on a rampage in Tests. They have beaten Australia, England and New Zealand in recent times.
India Predicted Playing 11
KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, R Ashwin, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami, Mohammad Siraj
South Africa vs India Head to Head
South Africa have maintained a clear dominance over India in their home conditions. However, this Virat Kohli-led side have scripted history in the last two years and are capable enough to win their maiden series in South Africa
SA vs IND Head to Head Stats in Tests
|
Matches Played |
SA Won |
IND Won |
Tie |
Draw |
Overall |
39 |
15 |
14 |
0 |
10 |
In South Africa |
20 |
10 |
3 |
0 |
7 |
South Africa vs India Betting Odds
Who will win South Africa vs India 1st Test?
The top betting sites have backed India to win. Given India’s form, this looks a good bet.
South Africa vs India Betting Rate
🏆 South Africa vs India Prediction
It's going to be a tight series. The batters from both teams are struggling and the team that bats well will emerge as winners. We don't think South Africa have the quality to sustain against the Indian pace attack which gives the visitors a great opportunity to win their first series in South Africa. We are going in with India as winners for this match.
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