India vs South Africa 2019: India's probable XI for the second Test
Team India got off to a winning start in the three-match Test series against South Africa. The Virat Kohli-led side put in an all-round display at Vizag, securing a comfortable victory in the process. The action will now shift to Pune for the second Test which commences on 10th October.
After a quiet series in West Indies, opener Mayank Agarwal announced his return to form by scoring a magnificent double hundred in the first innings at Vizag. Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma, who donned the role of opener for the first time in Test cricket, scored twin centuries in the Test and went on to bag the Man of the Match award.
Due to significant contributions from the openers, the middle order did not have much to do in the first innings. However, in the second innings, Cheteshwar Pujara played a crucial knock while Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane added some quick runs late on to put India in a commanding position. Ravindra Jadeja too had a great game, playing the role of an allrounder to perfection.
On the bowling front, Ravichandran Ashwin and Mohammed Shami led the charge for India, ending the match with an 8 and 5-wicket haul respectively, while Jadeja and Ishant Sharma supported them to perfection.
Looking ahead to the next game, it's interesting to note that India have played just one Test match at Pune in the past. They were defeated by Australia in that encounter and will be eager to make amends this time around.
The pitch in Pune is expected to be good for batting although spinners will get some assistance as the game progresses.
India are unlikely to make too many changes to their lineup for the second Test which means Kuldeep Yadav and Umesh Yadav will have to wait patiently for their turn. The batting line-up looks settled and Kohli will not be too keen on tinkering with it until the series is in the bag.
India's probable XI: Mayank Agarwal, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami.
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