In the second Test match against India, South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma has won the toss and elected to bat first at the Assam Cricket Association Stadium in Guwahati.
Rishabh Pant walked in as Team India`s stand-in skipper. Shubman Gill will miss out on the clash, as he has not fully recovered from the neck injury.
After winning the toss, Bavuma said, “We will have a bat. We have got to start afresh. Wicket looks a lot better. Bat first, try to get a big score first up. No cracks (on the pitch) really. Very excited and happy to be part of this historic moment. One change. (Senuran) Muthusamy comes in”.
On the other hand, the hosts` skipper Rishabh Pant said, “A proud moment, I am thankful to the BCCI for giving me this opportunity. You want to grab it with both hands. The environment is like, focus on yourself. Look at the area where we can improve as a team, and just come together and fight each and every moment. We feel the wicket is good for batting. But at the same time, bowling first is not a bad option either. Shubman is getting well slowly, slowly. He was very eager to play the match. But at the same time, his body didn`t allow it. He is going to come back stronger. Two changes. Nitish Reddy (in place of Gill) and Sai Sudharsan (in place of Axar Patel) come in”.
This is also the first time a Test match is being played in Guwahati. Currently, the Proteas are leading the two-match Test series by 1-0 against India. South Africa will aim to script history by defeating the hosts on Indian soil, whereas India will play for pride and will look to avoid the whitewash.
IND vs SA 2nd Test: Confirmed Playing XI
India: KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, Dhruv Jurel, Rishabh Pant (C), Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.
South Africa: Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Temba Bavuma (C), Tony de Zorzi, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Kyle Verreynne, Marco Jansen, Simon Harmer, Keshav Maharaj.
(With ANI Inputs)