SA vs IND 2nd Test Match Preview, Team News, Possible XI, Pitch Report, and Dream XI Team Prediction

The Proteas will start the calendar year 2024 with the 2nd Test match against India at the Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town. South Africa have already taken the lead in the SA vs IND 2-match Test Series after a comfortable and dominant performance in the first test at Centurion. The Proteas need to either win or draw the 2nd Test to clinch the series.

The 2nd Test match will conclude the India tour of South Africa 2023-24, which began with the T20I series, ending in a 1-1 tie while India claimed the ODI series 2-1.

Also Read: South Africa vs India: Gerald Coetzee ruled out of the Final Test with an Injury

SA vs IND: 2nd Test Match Preview

Match Details:

• Date: January 3-7, 2024

• Venue: Newlands Cricket Ground, Cape Town

• Time: 1:30 pm (IST)

• Live Streaming: Star Sports and Disney+ Hotstar

SA vs IND: 2nd Test - Head-to-Head

• Matches played: 43

• India won: 15

• South Africa won: 18

• Tied: 10

South Africa vs India: Head-to-Head in Tests in South African soil

Of the 24 Tests India have played in South Africa, they have only won four. India have never won a Test series in South Africa. In their eight visits since 1992, South Africa has emerged victorious seven times, with one series drawn in 2010/11.

India have never won a test match Cape Town. They have played 6 test matches there and lost 4 times while drawing twice.

Also Read: SA vs IND: India's Test Record in South Africa

SA vs IND: Pitch & Weather Report

The Newlands Cricket Stadium in Cape Town is a high-scoring ground. The average 1st innings and 2nd innings totals at the stadium are 325 and 292 respectively. The 3rd and 4th innings totals are 234 and 163. South Africa once scored 651 at the stadium against Australia in 2009.

Out of 60 Tests played on this ground, the team batting first won 23 matches and the team batting second won 25 games. So, batting first or second should not offer an advantage at the stadium. The South African pitches are generally flat and bouncy. It offers assistance to pacers more than spinners.

The temperature of Cape Town on January 3 will be 29° Celcius during the day. The sky will be clear. The chances of rain are just 5% during the day and night. The SA vs IND 2nd Test will not be affected by rain on Day 1. Humidity is expected to be 64% during the day.

Team News

South Africa Team News

This is South Africa's first series in the current World Test Championship cycle and they have started in style. Dean Elgar will play the final Test match of his career and also lead the team due to Bavuma's injury. The former South African skipper announced his retirement from the format following the forthcoming series. Elgar scored 185 runs in the first inning of the first test match and would like to finish his career on high.

Pacer Gerald Coetzee has been ruled out of the second and final Test after developing pelvic inflammation. The Proteas confirmed the news on Saturday. South Africa might miss his presence in the match but Rabada and Jansen did a commendable job in the first test and Lungi Ngidi will surely try to make a great comeback with his bowling.

"Proteas and Momentum Multiply Titans fast bowler Gerald Coetzee will miss the second Betway Test against India after developing pelvic inflammation during the first Test at SuperSport Park in Centurion. The 23-year-old experienced discomfort in his pelvis, which got progressively worse while bowling on day three of the match. He underwent scans on Friday which revealed the extent of the injury," Cricket South Africa said in a release.

Lungi Ngidi and Wiaan Mulder are alternative fast bowling choices, providing selectors with flexibility. They can also include Keshav Maharaj, who was not initially selected for the first Test.

Indian Team News

Ravindra Jadeja is set to make a comeback in the squad. However, Sharma's critical decision lies in selecting the third and fourth fast bowlers, with Prasidh Krishna and Shardul Thakur providing poor performances. Prasidh lacks experience in Test cricket, and Shardul's talent may not be sufficient in this format. Rohit Sharma's most significant decision will be whether to stick with his pacers or introduce fresh faces like Mukesh Kumar and Avesh Khan.

Bumrah's performance will be key to India's bowling strategy. While the bowlers need to step up, Rohit Sharma also needs to rediscover his form. Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, and Shreyas Iyer struggled against the pacers in the first Test so they need to perform particularly well in the second and final test match. With one loss and one draw in three Tests in the new World Test Championship cycle, India have to deliver a good performance.

Also Read: South Africa vs India: The Proteas beat India by an inning and 32 runs in the 1st Test at Centurion

SA vs IND: Possible XI

Squads: India: Rohit Sharma (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (wk), Shreyas Iyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Prasidh Krishna, KS Bharat (wk), Avesh Khan, Abimanyu Eshwaran.

South Africa:  Aiden Markram, Tony de Zorzi, Dean Elgar (C), Keegan Petersen, Zubayr Hamza, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Tristan Stubbs (wk), Nandre Burger, Marco Jansen, Wiaan Mulder, Gerald Coetzee, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, David Bedingham.

India's Expected Playing XI: Rohit Sharma (Cap), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), Ravindra Jadeja) Ravichandran Ashwin, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Avesh Khan

South Africa's Expected Playing XI: Dean Elgar (Cap), Aiden Markram, Tony de Zorzi, Zubayr Hamza, David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne (WK), Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Marco Jansen, Kagiso Rabada, Nandre Burger

SA vs IND: 2nd Test Dream XI Team Prediction