5 key battles to look forward to in the India-South Africa Test series

The first ever Gandhi-Mandela test series is just around the corner as two of the globe’s top cricketing nations, India and South Africa, lock horns in one of the toughest battles of this year. Coming into the test format after a loss in the T20 and ODI series, India shall be waiting to avenge the loss. The ODI series was a fight that went to the wire and spiced up things ahead of the test series.The visitors, needless to say, are seated comfortably at the top of the rankings table, courtesy to top class players. South Africa shall be playing only its second test of the year while India is coming in after a historic feat against Sri Lanka.While these factors reside on one side, on the other side we have the individual battles between the players taking the field. For instance, Kohli is breaking records at the speed of rockets, while Amla is busy breaking those at the speed of light. Jadeja is returning to the team with 35 wickets in 7 Ranji matches while Tahir is waiting to welcome him.However, will these be the most mouth-watering battles during the series? May or may not be. So, here is a list of the top 5 battles to watch out for in the upcoming test series.

#1 Murali Vijay-Hashim Amla

This ‘opening’ clash shall be a vital match decider for both the teams. The stylish right-hander from Chennai has been the anchor of the Indian batting lineup ever since his resurrection a couple of years back while Amla, undoubtedly, is Vijay’s counterpart in the Protean side.

Both the players share the trait that they have mastered the art of soaking up the pressure and playing like a patient monk. The sub-continent has been one of Amla’s favorite hunting grounds and hardly could the Indian bowlers forget the nightmare he ‘offered’ them in 2010 when he was dismissed just once in four innings. However, a fair streak of runs in the limited over matches has pushed the Protean skipper into a bit of pressure and the need to make a comeback is elevating day by day.

It is on these two that their respective team’s chances of getting off to a good start resides. A battle between these two has never been witnessed before and might prove to be one of the toughest ones if both get the momentum going.