CAPE TOWN, South Africa: In the second and final Test against India, South Africa’s captain, Dean Elgar, decided to bat first after winning the toss at Newlands on a sunny Wednesday.
The hosts aim for a series sweep against the world’s top-ranked side.
Three changes have been made to South Africa’s team from their first Test victory by an innings and 32 runs in Pretoria. Debutant middle-order batter Tristan Stubbs replaces the injured regular captain, Temba Bavuma. Spinner Keshav Maharaj marks his 50th cap, stepping in for the injured Gerald Coetzee, while seamer Lungi Ngidi joins the team instead of Keegan Petersen, providing the hosts with an extra bowling option.
“It looks an interesting wicket, a few snakes in it, hopefully it comes to the fore when we bowl,” Elgar said. “It is a big hurdle for us and a big Test, this is our marquee game for the season. We have to start well.”
If Rohit Sharma, the captain of India, had won the toss, he confessed that he would have chosen to bat first. This decision came alongside two alterations for the visitors: Ravindra Jadeja, the left-arm spinner, returned after recovering from back spasms, taking the place of Ravichandran Ashwin. Additionally, seamer Mukesh Kumar entered the lineup, playing his second Test instead of Shardul Thakur.
“There will be enough in the pitch for the seamers, so hopefully we can cash in on it,” Rohit said. “It is important for us to forget what has happened in the past, it is about the present.”
Elgar, who declared retirement before the series, is playing his final match in a 12-year Test career, marking an important moment for him.
South Africa: Dean Elgar (capt.), Aiden Markram, Tony de Zorzi, Tristan Stubbs, David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Nandre Burger, Lungi Ngidi
India: Rohit Sharma (capt.), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Mukesh Kumar.
