SOUTH AFRICA VS. INDIA: FREEDOM TROPHY 2021/22, 2nd TEST | MATCH PREDICTION AND FANTASY CRICKET TIPS
Hosts South Africa take on India in the second Test of the Freedom Trophy at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg from Monday morning onward.
South Africa cricket team were outplayed in the first Test by India cricket team, losing by a big margin of 113 runs. The batters failed in both the innings, not able to cross the 200-run mark even once. Skipper Dean Elgar and Temba Bavuma did well in parts but will need support from the likes of Adien Markram, Keegan Petersen and Rassie van der Dussen here. The absence of Quinton de Kock will be a big miss in this Test.
On the other hand, India made an excellent start to a hard tour. Clinical performances from KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Shami and others helped the team secure a victory to take a 1-0 lead in the series. They have an excellent record at the Wanderers as they are unbeaten in 5 Test matches played here.
Match Details
- Match: South Africa vs. India, 2nd Test
- Venue: Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg
- Date & Time: Jan. 3, 2022, at 1:30 PM IST/10 AM Local
Probable Playing XI
South Africa
Dean Elgar (C), Aiden Markram, Keegan Petersen, Rassie van der Dussen, Temba Bavuma, Kyle Verreynne (WK), Marco Jansen, Kagiso Rabada, Duanne Olivier, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi
India
KL Rahul (C), Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (WK), Shardul Thakur, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammad Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Siraj
Weather Report
Johannesburg is expected to have overcast conditions on all days of the match, with occasional thunderstorms. The temperature will be around 27 degrees during the game.
Pitch Report
The surface at the Wanderers will assist pacers throughout the Test match. There is plenty of bounce and seam available from the surface. However, batters can score big runs if they bide their time at the crease. The average first-innings score during the last five Tests played on this ground has been 299.
Toss
Although the pitch mostly remains the same throughout the match, the team that batted first on this surface has won 4 out of the last 5 games here. A first-innings score of around 300 runs can be pretty competitive on this ground.
Top Fantasy Picks
Wicketkeeper
- Rishabh Pant will be the pick of the wicketkeepers in this Test, given Quinton de Kock's retirement. In 2021, he made 748 runs in 12 Tests at an average of 39.36, including a century and 5 half centuries. He scored 42 runs in the first Test and took 7 catches too.
Batter
- Dean Elgar is the most experienced batter and the backbone of this South African batting line-up. He played a crucial role in the last Test, making a well-fought 77 in the second innings. He has scored 523 runs in eight Tests here at an average of 43.28, including a century and 2 half centuries.
All-rounder
- Ravichandran Ashwin is the first choice all-rounder, mainly because of the lack of options. The seamer-friendly conditions will be challenging for him here. He took 2 wickets in the first Test. Expect him to contribute more with the bat rather than the ball here.
Bowler
- Kagiso Rabada has led the pace attack for South Africa for the last few years. He has taken 220 wickets in 48 Tests, including 24 wickets in the five games played here at an average of 20.54. He picked up 7 wickets and scored 25 runs in the first Test.
Howzat Dream Team
- Wicketkeeper: Rishabh Pant
- Batters: Dean Elgar, Temba Bavuma, Ajinkya Rahane, Mayank Agarwal
- All-rounders: Ravi Ashwin
- Bowlers: Kagiso Rabada, Duanne Oliver, Marco Jansen, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami
- Captain: Jasprit Bumrah/Mohammed Shami
- Vice Captain: Kagiso Rabada/Marco Jansen
NOTE: The Howzat dream team above is just a suggestion. You can select your dream team and play fantasy cricket all the upcoming matches of the India tour of South Africa. Also, don’t forget to make any necessary changes to your team once the actual playing 11 is announced by each team (30 minutes before the start of the match) as some players you have selected might not be part of the team suggested.
Download your favorite fantasy app and select your own team, Howzat!
