Cape Town weather forecast today: What are the chances of rain during the India vs South Africa 2nd Test?
India will look to avoid a series whitewash when they square off against South Africa in the second and final Test in Cape Town. The match is slated to take place between January 3 and 7.
South Africa secured a thumping victory by an innings and 32 runs in the first Test in Centurion to take a 1-0 lead in the series. India struggled as a batting unit against some quality fast bowling by the Proteas. The bowling also looked weak in Centurion, which was in contrast to how good Indian bowlers have fared over the last few years.
India will look to bounce back and eke out a win in Cape Town to end the series 1-1. All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who missed the first Test due to an injury, is likely to replace Ravichandran Ashwin. Prasidh Krishna, who had a dismal Test debut in Centurion, is expected to make way for Mukesh Kumar or Avesh Khan.
South Africa will look to continue the momentum and give Dean Elgar (who will lead the team in Temba Bavuma's absence) a fairytale ending. The left-handed batter played an excellent 185-run knock in the first Test and will hope to lead the Proteas batting once again in his final outing.
While the stage is set for an epic showdown, the buzz is about how the weather will pan out over the next five days. Although the weather looks bright and sunny in the first three days, a couple of morning showers are expected on Day 4, which might delay the start of play.
The temperature would hover around 28 degrees Celsius in the first two days, but it would significantly go down to 23 degrees Celsius on average in the final three days.
"I haven't thought too much about that" - Rohit Sharma on changes in India's pace attack for 2nd Test
The inability of Indian pacers to make use of the favorable conditions attracted a lot of criticism from experts and fans alike. Shardul Thakur and Prasidh Krishna struggled badly, which ignited the debate for a change in the playing XI for the second Test.
Throwing light on the same, Rohit Sharma asserted the need to back youngsters in the side.
"Honestly, I haven't thought too much about that (pace bowling changes) although we have had a brief chat with the management and the coaching staff," Rohit told reporters on the eve of the game. "We've not completely finalised our playing XI."
"Obviously, everyone is available for selection. There are no injury concerns. We'll sit down in the evening and decide what is the right one. I still feel that sometimes when you have inexperience in your attack, we have that, you have to show some faith," he added.
How many changes India would make in the second Test? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section.