South Africa vs India, SA vs IND 2023, Today Match Prediction 26 December 2023

RSA vs IND Match Prediction & Analysis

The ODI and T20 series are over, and the South Africans will look horns with the Indians in the 1st Test of the two-match series at SuperSport Park, Centurion. The South Africans have done well in the recent home series, and the side will be confident. The Indians have been tough to beat in the last three years, and they will look to put in their best efforts here.  

The Indians had won the last Test Match they played at the Centurion, and the side will look to draw inspiration from that win. They have a strong batting line-up and balanced attack. The South Africans are tough to beat at home, and we expect a thrilling contest that will bring out the best in the players.

RECENT PERFORMANCE

RSA

IND

W L

WI

150/10 in 64.3 2.33

WI vs IND

India won by an innings and 141 runs

12 Jul 2023

IND

130/10 in 50.3 2.57

AUS

469/10 in 121.3 3.86

ICCWTCF 2023

Australia won by 209 runs

07 Jun 2023

IND

270/8 in 84.3 3.2

HEAD TO HEAD

TEAMS PREVIEW

South Africa Preview

Temba Bavuma's side will face a tough challenge in this game. The Indians emerged as the stronger side in the T20 and ODI series. Bavuma would know his team's weaknesses against stronger opponents and need to get the best out of them. His bowlers must do well for the side to challenge the Indians.  

The side will expect a good start from Dean Elgar and Aiden Markram as they will be up against a strong new ball attack. Tony de Zorzi is in good form, and he must bat well in the middle order and build partnerships with Temba Bavuma and Keegan Petersen. Tristan Stubbs and Wiaan Mulder add depth to this batting line-up and will look to contribute with the bat.  

The side will need a good spell with the new ball from Kagiso Rabada and Wiaan Mulder, as the Indians have a strong top order. Lungi Ngidi and Gerald Coetzee will look to use the conditions for the side to be in a strong position. Keshav Maharaj will look to turn the ball and trouble the opponents.

South Africa Predicted Playing XI:

Temba Bavuma (c), Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram, Tony de Zorzi, Tristan Stubbs (wk), Wiaan Mulder, Keshav Maharaj, Gerald Coetzee, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Keegan Petersen

South Africa Actual Playing XI:

Temba Bavuma, Tony de Zorzi, Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram, Keegan Petersen, Marco Jansen, David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne, Nandre Burger, Gerald Coetzee, Kagiso Rabada

India Preview

Rohit Sharma is back at the helm and will look for a good show from his side in this game. They have done well on the tour and shall aim for a win here. The last time the side played on this ground, they won the Test, and Sharma would like his players to take inspiration from that win.   

The side will need a good start in the game from Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal, who did well in West Indies. The middle order has a lot of experience, and the side will expect a good show from Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Shreyas Iyer. They have depth in the batting and shall expect a good show from KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, and Ravichandran Ashwin.  

The Indians have a strong bowling attack, and they will expect a good show from Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj. Shardul Thakur must bowl well as the 1st change bowler and use his variations. The team would like to see Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin trouble the South Africans, as they have previously struggled against spin. 

India Predicted Playing XI:

Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur

India Actual Playing XI:

Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Lokesh Rahul, Ravichandran Ashwin, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna

PITCH AND WEATHER CONDITIONS

Weather Conditions

There is a forecast for rain and overcast skies during the game. Newlands has always been a good venue for the bowlers, and batsmen must play their strokes cautiously. The side that bats first on this wicket will look to have more than 350 runs on the board.

RSA vs IND Pitch Report

SuperSport Park, Centurion's wicket has been good for the fast bowlers who can extract pace and bounce from the surface. The true nature of the pace also makes it easy for the batsmen to hit the ball. Spinners who use their variations have done well at this venue.

Toss: To Bat

The side batting first has won four games in the last five games. It has been a trend at this ground, as chasing the score in the 4th innings is always a massive challenge. Hence, we expect the side winning the toss to have no hesitation in batting first and using the conditions well.