KL Rahul Makes A Massive Return, Shreyas Iyer Ruled Out Of World Cup 2023, Shubman Gill Dropped- India's Test Squad for South Africa Finalized

India will tour South Africa for a full-fledged series between December 10- 2023 to January 7, 2024. The tour will comprise of three T20I matches, followed by three ODI matches and two Test matches.

The Test series will be played at last with the first Test in Centurion between December 26-30. The second Test will be played in Cape Town from January 3-7 2024. The last time they toured South Africa for a Test series in 2021-22, they lost the series 2-1.

Following the Test series loss, the Men in Blue were whitewashed in the ODI series. The upcoming series will be played after the World Cup at home. The Test series will be a part of the ICC WTC 2023-25 season. India last played against West Indies and won the series 1-0.

At home, South Africa will be favorites once again to win the Test series. Virat Kohli stepped down as the Test captain in the last series against South Africa. It will be Rohit Sharma who will lead the team in the next series.

The Indian Test squad is expected to get back its key players for the upcoming series against South Africa. The likes of KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Jasprit Bumrah, and Rishabh Pant are all expected to be fit and available. Bumrah will make a comeback to international cricket in the T20I series against Ireland and his comeback will boost the Indian batting lineup big time. In this article, we will predict India’s likely 15-member Test squad for the two-match Test series.

IND vs SA 2023-24: India’s Predicted Test Squad

Openers: Rohit Sharma (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul

Yashasvi Jaiswal was a revelation in the Test series against West Indies. He scored 171 on his Test debut and backed it up with another fifty in the second innings. He showed a good head on his shoulders and overall composure to prove that he belongs in international cricket. India might keep the same opening combination against South Africa.

If selected for the series, KL Rahul will make a comeback to Test cricket after playing the second Test against Australia in the BGT series in 2023. Rahul was out of cricket with a hamstring injury since the IPL. He will be the third opener in the squad.

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Middle-Order: Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane / Shreyas Iyer

Virat Kohli is a must now with the kind of form he has shown in international cricket since the Asia Cup 2022. He has scored centuries across formats and has been a consistent run-scorer in Test and ODI cricket. He has not played T20Is since the T20 World Cup last year but remains a central figure in India’s Test and ODI squads.

Ajinkya Rahane’s IPL 2023 season with Chennai Super Kings marked his comeback to the Indian Test squad. He top-scored for India in the WTC final helping him to become the vice-captain of the series against West Indies.

However, he failed to replicate his form in the series. There might be a choice between him and Shubman Gill who has struggled off late in international cricket.

Shreyas Iyer, who plays spin very well and scores quickly in the middle-order will have a key role to play in the South Africa series. The Indian batter has been out of international cricket since the first Test against Australia in the BGT series.

He also missed the IPL due to a shoulder injury which he got operated on. He along with Bumrah and KL Rahul worked on their fitness at the NCA. Iyer should be fit for the ODI World Cup at home and for India’s international assignments thereafter.

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Wicketkeepers: Ishan Kishan, KS Bharat

With no update on Rishabh Pant’s comeback yet, India might continue with Kishan and Bharat as their backup-keeping options. The southpaw made his Test debut against West Indies in Dominica and scored a fifty in the second innings of the second Test. Given that he plays in an attacking mold similar to Pant, the Southpaw might be the preferred option in the XI.

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Spinners: Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja

Jadeja and Ashwin will be the spin options for the Test series. Both can contribute substantially with the bat and hence extends India’s batting lineup to number eight. Ashwin is closing in on 500 Test wickets but it is Jadeja who has been the preferred choice in overseas Test matches as India have preferred to play four fast bowlers. Ashwin being benched in the WTC final created a lot of furor in the Indian cricket fraternity. Whether he continues to be benched in overseas Tests will be an interesting observation.

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Pacers: Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mukesh Kumar, Mohd Siraj, Jaydev Unadkat

Bumrah will be back to lead the pace attack for India. Along with him will be Shami, Siraj, Mukesh, and Unadkat forming the pace attack. India have several options to choose from with the veteran Umesh Yadav also available in the mix. Prasidh Krishna who is working on his fitness is also expected to be fit by the time the World Cup starts at home. Navdeep Saini is another option that the management can consider.

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India’s Predicted 15-member Test Squad For South Africa Series

Rohit Sharma (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan, KS Bharat, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mukesh Kumar, Mohd Siraj, Jaydev Unadkat