Will dead rubber come to life?
India aim to go for the kill against South Africa in Ranchi
Ranchi, Oct. 18: It would have been a dead rubber but with valuable World Test Championship points on offer, India would be eyeing victory while South Africa would be desperate for some consolation in a wretched tour when the third and final Test starts here on Saturday.
There are 40 points on offer and a 3-0 series whitewash, both of which India would be targetting against the hapless visitors.
Dominating the Proteas in all the departments, India won the first Test in Visakhapatnam by 203 runs before inflicting an innings and 137-run defeat on the hapless visitors in Pune to regain the Freedom Trophy.
India, who have 200 points from four games, have a massive 140-point lead over nearest rivals New Zealand and Sri Lanka in the WTC standings.
Skipper Virat Kohli has also made it clear that there is plenty to play for in the final Test and the team cannot afford a drop in intensity. Going into the game, India have very few holes to plug, be it their batting or bowling. The home team could not have asked for more from their top-order with Rohit Sharma showing why he is such an impact player as he feasted on the South African bowlers with twin hundreds in the first Test while opening for the first time.
The Mumbaikar’s opening partner Maynak Agarwal on the other hand went on to convert his maiden hundred into a double in Visakhapatnam and followed it up with another century in Pune. Then it was the turn of ‘King Kohli’ who came to the party in the Pune with a career-best double hundred — a majestic 254 not out — and made it look like a routine job.
Rohit will be eyeing a big score after not firing in the first innings of the Pune Test while Cheteshwar Pujara, who has scored two fifties in the series, would be looking to cross the threefigure mark. That India have lost only 16 wickets while routing South Africa in both the Tests sums up their dominance. Toss has also been kind to India so far and things are likely to get exciting if the luck favours the South Africans.
— Ranchi, Oct. 18: Leftarm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem has been rewarded for his stupendous show on the domestic circuit with a call-up in the Indian Test squad after chinaman Kuldeep Yadav was ruled out due to a shoulder injury. Nadeem has been a prolific performer for Jharkhand and India A over a period of time.
He has had back-to-back 50-plus wicket seasons for Jharkhand.
“The decision to add Nadeem was made after Kuldeep complained of left shoulder pain on Friday,” chairman of selectors MSK Prasad was quoted as saying in a BCCI press release.—