Indian cricket team led by Virat Kohli will look to start 2018 with a World Record during their visit to South Africa. Team India have never won a Test series on the South African soil. Their best performance ever came under the leadership of MS Dhoni in 2010-11 when they managed to draw the three-match Test series 1-1.
During 2010-11 visit, Team India was the No. 1 side. It had players like Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, VVS Laxman and the dependable Rahul Dravid in the batting line-up. Among the bowlers, Zaheer Khan was in his prime form along with Harbhajan Singh and Sreesanth.
During the 2018 tour, Team India’s batting line-up will be led by Virat Kohli with Murali Vijay, KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan and Cheteshwar Pujara. Among the bowlers, Jasprit Bumrah received maiden Test call as he could prove lethal on South African pitches. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Ishant Sharma are also there to provide depth to Indian bowling.
#TeamIndia prepping up for the final day of the final Test #INDvSL pic.twitter.com/mYXPVxWa1P
— BCCI (@BCCI) December 6, 2017
Interestingly, since 2015, Team India have never lost a Test series. Their last series win over the Sri Lankans helped Virat Kohli and the boys to equal Australia and England’s record for most consecutive series wins (9) on the trot. So, if they win the series in South Africa, it would be 10 in a row, which means a new world record.
CHAMPIONS! #TeamIndia pic.twitter.com/R7viJWJRU7
— BCCI (@BCCI) December 6, 2017
The last team to beat India was Australia in 2014-15.
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While announcing the 17-member squad for the South Africa tour, BCCI’s chairman of selectors MSK Prasad said the side was balanced for the tour and he assured that the team will do well.
It is the best possible side, we have covered all the departments and more importantly, we are going to South Africa as number 1 Test team, everybody is in good form. On that basis I am saying that this is the best-balanced side, I am sure this team will really do well.
Besides MSK, former Indian captain Rahul Dravid also expressed that the Virat Kohli-led team has a “great chance” of winning a maiden Test series in South Africa given the depth of talent in the side.
Dravid, while speaking to PTI, said the current Indian team has all bases covered for the three-match series in South Africa starting with the first Test in Cape Town from January 5.
Team India will leave for South Africa on December 27 to play 3 Test matches from January 5 to January 28, 2018 in Cape Town, Centurion and Johannesburg respectively.
Back to back double _ for King Kohli #INDvSL pic.twitter.com/NDMmtzbs4W
— BCCI (@BCCI) December 3, 2017
Besides Tests, Team India will also play 6 One Day Internationals and 3 T20Is.
Here’s the full squad for the upcoming India vs South Africa Test series –
Virat Kohli (c), Murali Vijay, KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane (vc), Rohit Sharma, Wridhhiman Saha (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Parthiv Patel, Hardik Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, ohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah.
