India will look to overcome South Africa on the ground where Australia beat them two years ago

India will look to overcome South Africa on the ground where Australia beat them two years ago

India will look to garner full points to boost their points tally in the World Test Championship. For the hosts’ it should be business as usual as they were out over three hours getting the feel of the wicket.

Joe WilliamsUpdated: Thursday, October 10, 2019, 07:46 AM IST
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AFP PHOTO / GIANLUIGI GUERCIA |

Pune: After registering a comprehensive 203-run victory in Visakhapatnam, India will look to continue with their dominant run and seal the ongoing three-Test series when they face South Africa in the second match beginning Thursday at the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium.

India will look to garner full points to boost their points tally in the World Test Championship. For the hosts’ it should be business as usual as they were out over three hours getting the feel of the wicket.

The Indian side does not have happy memories about the wicket here as they lost to Australia in the first ever Test played in the year 2017. But for the Indian skipper Kohli, that is past. He does not believe in looking back but look forward.

Kohli does not underestimate his rivals and is confident of his side after their win against the same side. “We did well in our first match, but that is past and now we are with another new match,” said Kohli, while talking to the media after his work out. And went on to add, “They are a very good side.”

Heavy rain last night might have worried the think tank of the team, but not the skipper, as he said, “we are a combination of a good team and raring to go.”

Commenting about the overcast conditions and late night rain, Kohli said, “I don’t think it does worry us we are a combination of players who want to answer other than give excuses.”

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were at the nets for most of the time batting while hitting the ball into the stands on many occasions, and when asked about his hitting, the skipper was quick to say, “I love to enjoy the game and that is what I was doing.”

While at the other wicket Ravichandran Ashwin was busy with his batting apart from bowling, well aware that in the last Test against Australia on the same ground, the spinners shared 31 wicket between them and hoping for the wicket to act in the similar manner.

Squads:

India: Virat Kohli (capt), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Rishabh Pant (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Krunal Pandya, Washington Sundar, Rahul Chahar, Khaleel Ahmed, Deepak Chahar, Navdeep Saini.

South Africa: Quinton de Kock (capt/wk), Rassie van der Dussen (vc), Temba Bavuma, Junior Dala, Bjorn Fortuin, Beuran Hendricks, Reeza Hendricks, David Miller, Anrich Nortje, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, George Linde.

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