India’s Test squad in South Africa: Does it have the firepower to humble the hosts?

Ishant Sharma:

The tall right-hand fast bowler is India’s ninth most successful bowler in Tests and will spearhead the attack unless undone by injury. Sharma’s record against South Africa, however, is not something extraordinary and he will have to work harder to improve his figures against the Proteas (11 matches; 21 wickets; average 51.14; strike rate 96.61). Of his 21 wickets against SA, 12, however, have come in 5 away Tests and Kohli and Ravi Shastri will pray for Ishant Sharma’s fitness and form in this series.

Mohammad Shami:

Another bowler who is approaching the 100 wickets club in Tests, Mohammad Shami will be looking forward to an injury-free South Africa tour so that India can make the best use of his service. Shami has a better average than both Yadav and Sharma (30.77) but will have to bear the extra burden on his strong shoulders against the Faf du Plessis-led side in the upcoming three-match series. Shami has played only 2 matches against SA so far – both away in the 2013-14 season — and has taken 6 wickets in all.

Lokesh Rahul:

The youngest of India’s batting hopes in the series, Rahul will have another acid test of his career in South Africa. The highly rated opening batsman from Karnataka who can also keep wickets, Rahul already has scored 4 centuries and 10 fifties in his 21 match career so far and he will look to build on his reputation of a prolific scorer abroad in the high-voltage series in SA.

Rahul is yet to play South Africa in Tests but the way he had declared his arrival at the Test arena in his very first series in Australia three years ago, the fans can expect him to come out with flying colours on the lively wickets of South Africa as well.

Ravindra Jadeja:

Like Ashwin, Jadeja too is under a lot of competition from the newcomers and will have to make the most of the SA tour to maintain a lead over the challengers. Jadeja’s advantage is that he is also no bunny with the bat but his real task will be to take wickets in the South African pitches.

Jadeja has a tally of 165 Test wickets with an average of 23.73 – the best of all Indian bowlers touring South Africa – and he hasn’t done badly against the Proteas in Tests. He has grabbed 29 wickets in 5 games against SA and in the only Test he played in South Africa so far, he took a six-for though could not help his team avoid a thumping defeat.

Can Jadeja pair up with Ashwin to spin a cobweb around the hosts who are not known to be great players of spin.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar:

The least experienced of India’s pace quartet in South Africa, Bhuvneshwar Kumar could be a willy customer with his swing and control. Twenty-seven-year-old Kumar has 53 wickets in 19 Tests (average of 27.18; four five-wicket hauls) so far and is yet to play against South Africa. But his commendable feats in a short Test career so far always make him a reliable soldier and he wasn’t picked for the SA tour without a reason.

Overall: India look a decent side to meet the South African challenge but their bowling department look a tad inexperienced. While a few of the pacers have little or no experience of playing in SA, the spinners will have their task cut out to pick wickets in alien conditions. The batting department looks more well-equipped in contrast as many of the batsmen have done well in SA during India A tours but unless India succeed in taking 20 wickets, how realistic will be their chances to rewrite history in South Africa?