IND vs SA 1st Test: From Rohit to Ashwin; players to watch out for

After facing each other in the three-match T20I series earlier this year, India and South Africa will again clash in the first Test match to kick off their home season. The match will be played on October 2, 2019 in Visakhapatnam. Under the captaincy of Virat Kohli, the hosts will be looking to dominate and win the series. Team India will be coming to the Test series after defeating West Indies by winning all the three series (T20I, ODI and Test series).

However, Faf du Plessis-led Proteas team will be looking to gather some points against a robust Indian side. Though all the playing 11 from the Indian squad have a lot to deliver, some show more promise than others. There are some players from the Indian team who are in good form and a lot is expected from them during the Test. Here are a few of them:

Also Read l Ind vs SA: Team India's recent Test performances and match stats

IND vs SA: Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma, who is known for his white-ball game, has an opportunity to shine in the red-ball game as an opener. The chance to open in the Test came to Rohit when the form of other key openers declined. This year, Rohit outsmarted bowlers while playing white-ball cricket. After slamming five hundreds, he became the top run-scorer in the recently-concluded ICC Cricket World Cup, which could be the reason why captain Kohli and other officials presented Rohit with an opportunity to open against Proteas.

Also Read l IND vs SA 1st Test squad: Saha replaces Pant, Rohit to open

IND vs SA: Virat Kohli

Kohli has been an excellent performer for the team when it comes to cricket in general. Kohli recently became the fastest batsman in the world to make 1,000 runs in T20I cricket, reaching the milestone in his 27th innings. In September 2019, Kohli became the most successful Indian Test captain by winning his 28th Test against the West Indies. He surpassed MS Dhoni's previously held record of 27 Test victories.

Also Read l IND vs SA: Faf du Plessis to lead a young squad against India

IND vs SA: Ravichandran Ashwin

Despite being one of the most productive bowlers in the Indian squad, Ashwin's performances in the last few matches raised few eyebrows. Though Ashwin was on the bench during India's recent matches, his selection seemed guaranteed when it came to the Test series against South Africa. Ashwin’s record in home speaks for itself and when the bowler gets paired with Ravindra Jadeja, the duo work wonders. Despite his recent performance, Ashwin will be expected to show his ace game in the series and make up for previous matches.

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