Team India, Test Squad, South Africa, Analyzed, Jasprit Bumrah
Jasprit Bumrah has been a surprise pick in the 17-men Test squad. Photo Credit: Getty Images.

The selection committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) under the chief selector MSK Prasad had announced the 17-member squad of team India for the three-match Test series against South Africa kicking off on January 05 in the Cape Town. The buzz has been now all about the limited-overs specialist Jasprit Bumrah, who has been inducted into the side.

Apart from six fast bowlers, India picked the spin duo of Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin.

Team India has been working hard and is hopeful to attune to the version of success as a synonym and to what they have achieved so far at the home in the nutshell.

In the recent past in Tests, team India has been indomitable at home in particular which further saw the hosts beat Australia, Bangladesh followed by England and New Zealand.

With number-one ranked in the Test format, the Virat Kohli-led side has given decent performances in the recent past owing to a highly-quality batting and immaculate bowling which was further supported by the fielders.

Team India, Test Squad, South Africa, Analyzed
India has been on song at home in particular. Photo Credit: BCCI.

(Read Also: South Africa v India 2018: India’s Squad For South Africa Test Series Announced)

Let’s have a look how players have shaped up for Team India and what they are capable of and owing to the pros and cons:

KL Rahul:

Pros: The man of the moment when it comes to facing the new-ball and he is the right choice to start of the proceedings when it comes to the courage and commitment.

Cons: The Karnataka-based Rahul has had an affair with the fifties, failing to convert it into hundreds, while donning the white jersey. Also, his shoulder has been as fragile as glass.

Murali Vijay:

Pros: The opening batsman Murali Vijay, who is sporting a long hair, now enjoys a dab when he reaches a milestone of late. He has quite often made the mockery of the bowlers. He’s as effortless in approach as his stride at the crease.

Cons: Vijay has been blighted by injuries and subsequently faced off-field bouncers from journalists.

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Virat Kohli:

Pros: Focused and determinant. The bold and modern-day batting great and poster-boy of contemporary cricket has made life difficult for the world bowlers while being on the record-breaking spree. He is solid as a rock when it comes to dominating with the willow and leads his team like a warrior.

Cons: The Delhi-based batsman is brash. Kohli goes completely silent when he faces the hard-fought challenge from the opposition.

Shikhar Dhawan:

Pros: The left-handed batsman Shikhar Dhawan’s performances in the recent past have dictated the terms while taking on the challenge to make it to the Test fold.

Cons: Dhawan has been more famous sporting a moustache than performing on away Test tours.

Cheteshwar Pujara:

Pros: Into his stride, Cheteshwar Pujara has been in the sumptuous run and is the man to watch out for against the Faf du Plessis-led South Africa where Indian batters are supposed to face a lot.

Test specialist, Pujara is the prominent figure in Indian fold, as he has been shouldering the responsibility to extend the innings.

Cons: At times, Pujara wastes too many balls replicating snail’s speed.

Ajinkya Rahane:

Pros: The right-handed top-order batsman Ajinkya Rahane, who is also the deputy of Virat Kohli, could be the man of the crisis for Team India in the overseas conditions.

Ability to acclimatize the conditions has been of a great help for the technically sound batsman.

Cons: The dip in form has been a huge cause of concern for the Indian camp. Rahane has had no clue against Sri Lankan.

Rohit Sharma:

Pros: Known for playing the longer innings in the limited-overs cricket, Rohit Sharma has now a fresh role to play in the upcoming series.

It’s a decent choice to rely on the player like Rohit, who has made a resounding comeback after little over one-year against Sri Lanka.

Cons: He often perishes like a passing shower in the UK.

Wriddhiman Saha:

Pros: The gloveman Wriddhiman Saha has been the first-choice pick in the Test fold as his strength has been his contribution with the bat.

The best part about Saha has been his keeping’ which has been excellent except the occasional blip while donning the gloves.

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He’s literally a plane at the ground while making difficult chances easy to pounce on to boost the morale of the bowlers.

Cons: He’s the Ross Taylor of team India. He seems in love with purple colour, for example, his bat-grip and the bandana.

Parthiv Patel:

Pros: Wicket-keeper batsman Parthiv Patel, who has been picked as a backup player, has enough experience on his back to give his best.

Patel has been known for playing the game according to his potential while observing the game plan in general.

Cons: Scoring runs at the pace, Patel has been more of Fawad Alam of Pakistan.

Ravichandran Ashwin:

Pros: The off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has been a revelation with the ball since he made his appearance. His strength is variation and the variety to roll down his arm.

Ashwin has been among wickets to make things easier for his fast bowlers and it would be interesting to see how he shapes up against the Proteas which has a poor history when it comes to facing the spin.

Cons: He has struggled away from home in conditions not helpful for spinners.

Ravindra Jadeja:

Pros: Ravindra Jadeja has grabbed all the attention and grabbed the headlines for his stellar run particularly with the red-balls.

Following the immaculate line and the length, Jadeja has been among wickets which would also witness him sending down the quicker deliveries to deceive the opponents.

Cons: Jadeja has been rusty at times.

Hardik Pandya:

Pros: The seam-bowling all-rounder has a lot to work on while moving out from the country and he has been equally up to the task.

The promising youngsters know what it takes to make count when it comes to the spin-bowling.

Cons: Too much confidence could blow him away.

Mohammed Shami:

Pros: He could generate the pace early on and equally get the true bounce to pile-up the misery for the batsmen.

Shami has been working hard to yield desired results from time to time and his seam bowling has been a brighter prospect to ask plenty of the quality batsman.

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Ability to reverse the ball and relying on the swing, Shami could be dangerous on the Proteas soil.

Cons: The dip in pace in the later part of innings with the ball is the major challenge for the bowler. He has also been challenged by injury.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar:

Pros: The bowling spearhead has been a protagonist of the Indian bowling department. His strength is seam and swing – to make the ball talk in all conditions.

Cons: Longer the spells longer the miseries for a go-to bowler. On his bad day, he could be equally worst as being in the best.

Jasprit Bumrah:

Pros: The bowler with the slingy action has had been difficult to pick for many players in the recent past and his accuracy has been his strength to succeed in the limited-overs format, but Test cricket is different ball-game altogether.

However, Bumrah’s transformation has made many to believe he would excel while donning the white jersey.

Cons: He could crash-down while bowling the longer spells owing to his difficult action, as his selection has further become a hot debate. He has been equally famous for his infamous no-ball in the ICC Champions Trophy final against Pakistan in June, early this year.

Umesh Yadav:

Pros: Umesh Yadav has been a much-improved case when it comes to the Test format. Even though he conceded runs at pace, but on the other side bowled with full steam and discipline.

Cons: Yadav could be as wayward as Australian Shaun Tait.

Ishant Sharma:

Pros: Fast bowler Ishant Sharma has the potential to use his height well, in a bid to give a tough time to the Proteas bowlers where pitches would provide a lot of juice for the bowlers.

Cons: He concedes more than what he actually sends down the ground.

Tall figure’s wicket-taking celebration is as ugly as it has the power to instil fear among South African batsmen even after trudging-off the ground.

Tahir Ibn Manzoor is the Editor-In-Chief at Cricket Addictor, who follows cricket like food and he has a great affection for the long-form journalism. He has been associated with the organisation since...