Match prediction India vs South Africa October 2nd 2019

Title: India vs South Africa, 1st Test Match, Visakhapatnam
Date: October 02-06, 4:00 AM GMT
Place (venue): Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam
Tournament: South Africa tour of India, 2019
Weather: Chances of light showers, 79% humidity, 31°C

India has lost just four Test matches at home in the last 10 years and has an experienced batting and bowling line-up
Cheteshwar Pujara at No. 3 makes the difference between the two teams. He has been consistent in the last few series
South African team lacks a world class spinner and on a spin-friendly Visakhapatnam wicket this should be a major handicap

MATCH OVERVIEW
The T20 series between the two sides ended 1-1 with one of the games being washed away. The real test for the South African team starts as they take field in the first of the three Test Matches in the series. The visitors have arrived in India with a relatively inexperienced squad. With no Hashim Amla and Dale Steyn this squad doesn’t look threatening. Indian on the other hand are the #1 Test side in the world by a fair distance and have the reputation of taming visitors at home. They won the last series in West Indies and would be riding high on confidence.

This Test Match would be very important for the Indian team as it is a part of the ICC Test Champions rankings. Indians currently sit at the top of the table and a win here would take them a step closer to playing the final of the Test Championship. For the South African squad it would be a test of their character in hostile conditions. The way the side deals with the spinners may decide the outcome of the game. The visitors would be happy with the overcast weather conditions as this would assist their main weapon - fast bowlers. It should be a good Test match with exciting players on both sides.

INDIA
Virat Kohli leads by example and has instilled the hunger to win in the side. It will be interesting to see the new pair of Rohit Sharma and Mayank Agarwal at the top, especially Rohit whose Test career hasn’t picked up. Kohli, the in-form Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane add punch to the Indian batting in the middle. The side also bats deep which would work as an advantage. It will be a challenge for the opponents to run though this batting line-up.

The absence of Bumrah due to injury is a big setback for India but Mohammad Shami and Ishant Sharma bring skills as well as experience. The Indian team would rely on Ravichandra Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav to exploit the weakness that South Africans have playing spinners. The conditions are likely to assist the Indian spinners as the pitch wears down.

SOUTH AFRICA

Faf du Plessis knows that his team has a mountain to climb in the first Test match given the kind of form his side is in. Barring du Plessis and Quinton de Kock the side doesn’t boast of an established batsman. The likes of Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram and Temba Bavuma will need to deliver. They have played in India but none of them have good record. Their performance against Indian spinners will be of utmost importance.

On the bowling front the South African side would depend on Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi to do the damage with the new ball. The skipper doesn’t have too many bowling options as far as spin is concerned as Keshav Maharaj has miles to go before filling the shoes of Imran Tahir who retired recently.

TOSS PREDICTION

The pitch should offer assistance to the fast bowlers early in the morning but barring that there won’t be any demons in the pitch on Day 1 and 2. Batting will be difficult on Day 4 and 5 when the ball starts to turn. The side winning the toss would like to bat first on this surface.

PITCH AND WEATHER CONDITIONS

The wicket at Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy Cricket Stadium is a good one to bat on and the two Test Matches that have been played previously have seen a lot of runs being scored. There is early assistance for the fast bowlers but it is by and large a good wicket for batting. Spinners have done well at his venue and picked up most of the wickets that have fallen. Batting would be great on Day 1 and 2 and the wicket is expected to start turning from Day 3 onward.

The weather forecast at Visakhapatnam between October 02 and 06, 2019 is predicted to be cloudy skies with chances of light showers. The conditions would be slightly humid with the maximum temperature hovering around the 31°C.

MATCH PREDICTION

The South Africans have arrived with one of the most inexperienced squads to India since the 1992 series. The last time they toured India in 2015-16 they lost the 4-Match Test series 0-3. It could have been a 0-4 whitewash had weather not played spoilsport at Bangalore. Their last Test series at home against Sri Lanka saw them go down 0-2.
Indians on the other hand have lost just one Test match at home in the last three years and come on the back of a 2-0 win over West Indies. The hosts have a strong batting line-up and a quality spin attack. The lack of a quality spinner would be a major handicap for the South Africans and Indians would start as favorites to win this game.