South Africa vs India Prediction Prediction: South Africa won the first game

South Africa and India are going head to head in the 2nd Match of the Test Series at Newlands, Cape Town, South Africa on 03 Jan 2024. Indian team can undergo some modifications after humiliating first test defeat. Who will win this game of cricket?

In the second match, South Africa is aiming to replicate their dominant victory in the first Test, which was concluded in three days. However, they will be missing two key players due to injuries: captain Temba Bavuma and fast bowler Gerald Coetzee.

While Coetzee will not be replaced in the squad, Zubayr Hamza has been called up as cover for Bavuma. It remains to be seen if Tristan Stubbs will make his debut or if Hamza will be recalled to the playing XI. To address the absence of a specialist spinner, Kesav Maharaj is likely to take Coetzee's place.

In Bavuma's absence, Dean Elgar will take on the captaincy. This series will mark Elgar's retirement from international cricket, and he hopes to leave a lasting impact with another significant contribution to South Africa's success at Newlands, following his impressive century in Centurion.

With Bavuma sidelined and Elgar on his way out, all eyes will be on South Africa's relatively new batting lineup. Players like David Bedingham, Keegan Petersen, and Kyle Verreynne have the chance to showcase their potential and contribute collectively to another crucial series victory for their country.

Rohit Sharma (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna

India faced a dominant performance from their opponents in the first Test, leading Captain Rohit Sharma to acknowledge their failure to quickly adapt to the conditions and challenges they encountered. As they move to Cape Town, they can apply the lessons learned from their experience in Centurion to swiftly and effectively correct their approach.

Similar to the Proteas, India has suffered from several injuries, including the absence of Mohammed Shami. Avesh Khan has now been included in the squad after showcasing his skills for India A against South Africa A earlier this month. It is possible that Khan may replace Prasidh Krishna in the playing eleven.

Finding a way to include both Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja in the team might prove challenging for India. However, it is evident that Jadeja's participation is necessary due to his dynamic ability with both bat and ball, as well as his exceptional fielding skills. In contrast, Ashwin's performance in the opening match was relatively flat.

KL Rahul's exceptional batting performance in Centurion, which includes his century, can be considered the highlight of his career. It is crucial that Sharma, Virat Kohli, and the other batsmen provide Rahul with stronger support. The conditions at Newlands in Cape Town may be less demanding for the batters compared to Centurion.

Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram, Tony de Zorzi, Temba Bavuma (c), Keegan Petersen, David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Marco Jansen, Gerald Coetzee, Kagiso Rabada, Nandre Burger

In the past five Tests at Newlands, the captain who won the toss has chosen to bat first in four of them. It is likely that the team winning the toss in the upcoming match will also choose to bat first, especially if the weather is clear on the first day in Cape Town.

South Africa and India played a Test match here earlier in 2022, with total scores ranging between 198 and 223 for each innings. This suggests that Newlands is a ground where runs are harder to come by, but it is not impossible for batsmen to score well if they apply themselves. Historically, this pitch provides a good balance between the bat and ball, offering advantages to both disciplines. The weather forecast for the duration of the five-day match at Newlands indicates little to no rain.

Despite facing injuries to key players, South Africa are considered favourites to win this match. They demonstrated their dominance in the series opener and have a good chance of repeating their performance here. On the other hand, India is currently facing their own injury concerns and tends to perform below their best away from home, despite their strengths in their sub-continent. As a result, South Africa is favoured as the winner, while India is seen as the underdog.