India's tour of South Africa 2018: Analysing India's batting riches

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After a commanding all-round display in Tests at home, the Virat Kohli-led Indian team will soon embark to South Africa for the real 'test', a period of cricket away from home where their talent and temperament will be tested in equal measure.

Here's a comprehensive analysis of the batsmen in Team India's ranks, who will have to put up their best batting performance in recent times to counter the menace of the South African bowlers, come January 2018:

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Murali Vijay

With 11 Test tons under his belt and the gnawing wrist injury, that crippled his velvety, languid stroke-play, behind him, Murali Vijay has emerged as the No.1 choice for opening in Tests after a tough 2017, where he suffered the mortification of being benched at Kolkata [against Sri Lanka in November]. His mental tenacity helped him quell his demons and turn things around with successive tons on his comeback.

To have the ability to leave the ball outside the off-stump, and to know the off-stump is a huge judgemental call to possess in Tests, which Vijay astutely displayed whilst compiling contrasting tons in Lords and Brisbane in the season of 2014-15. Prior to that, he had missed a ton at Kingsmead, Durban by eking 97 priceless runs.

He is quite adept in this skilled game of 'body and mind' marathon and at 33, understands batting and knows his game well enough to accelerate and decelerate at the right moments. His success as an opener in next the 13 away test matches, starting with the Protean trip in early 2018 will enable the side to establish a strong base to build on, as he has the ability and the enduring spirit to weather the vagaries of Test match cricket in a cocooned bubble.

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