The Canadian Parvasi - Issue 27

The International News Weekly Sports
January 05, 2018 | Toronto
21
Will India be able to defeat South Africa?
Indo-Asian News Service
CAPE TOWN: After registering
nine consecutive
Test series victories since
2015, India will be duly tested
in overseas conditions
when they aim to overcome
a formidable South Africa
in the first of three match
series at the Newlands here
on Friday.
India maintained their
Test series winning streak
since defeating Sri Lanka
2-1 in their away series.
The top ranked side in the
longest format had also defeated
South Africa on their
own turf in the 2015-16 Freedom
Trophy series.
However, India have
not won against the Proteas
on South African soil since
1992 -- losing four and drawing
one in 2010-11.
India will bank on their
premier batsmen -- Cheteshwar
Pujara and Virat Kohli
-- who ended 2017 as the second
and fourth highest runs
scorers in the longset format
respectively in the calender
year to help their side
maintain its top Test status.
Key Indian batsmen
Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya
Rahane, Murali Vijay and
Lokesh Rahul will only look
to add depth to the batting
department.
Skipper Kohli might opt
to play an extra batsman
-- Rohit Sharma -- in place
of Ravindra Jadeja, who is
down with flu.
Pacer Jasprit Bumrah
-- who received his maiden
call up in Test squad -- alongside
Mohammed Shami, Ishant
Sharma, Umesh Yadav
and Bhuvneshwar Kumar
will be tested against the
fearsome South African
batting on the green-top
wicket.
Second ranked Test side
South Africa, on the other
Squads
India: Murali Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat
Kohli(captain), Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Wriddhiman
Saha(wicket-keeper), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed
Shami, Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Parthiv Patel,
Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Hardik Pandya, Lokesh Rahul.
South Africa: Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram, Hashim Amla, AB
de Villiers, Temba Bavuma, Faf du Plessis(captain), Quinton de
Kock (wicket-keeper), Andile Phehlukwayo, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso
Rabada, Morne Morkel, Dale Steyn, Chris Morris, Vernon Philander,
Theunis de Bruyn.
hand will look to flourish
on their home conditions
under the likes of batsmen
Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers
and Faf du Plessis.
The well set-up bowling
department will be led
by pacer Kagiso Rabada
-- who ranks second in the
Test bowlers list alongside
fit again Dale Steyn, rightarmer
Morne Morkel and
Vernon Philander who will
target to dismiss the visitors
right from the start of
the match.
India can win
Cape Town Test,
feels Ajay Jadeja
Agencies
NEW DELHI: Former India
cricketer Ajay Jadeja on Thursday
said the opening Test against
South Africa, starting in the familiar
conditions of Cape Town
on Friday, will provide the Virat
Kohli-led side the best chance to
record a win in the three-match
rubber.
Unlike in the past, India will
play their first Test in Cape Town
and then head to bouncy venues
like Centurion and Johannesburg
for the remaining two games.
"The first Test match is probably
going to be the most important
and India are lucky to play in
Cape Town this time," Jadeja told
reporters here.
"Luckily, we will be playing
on a pitch that gives us the best
chance to win because that's the
one that turns, that's the one that
gives a little help.
"It's very hot out there and I believe
it might turn. So, hopefully
we will start well and have a better
tour this time," he added.
But the former India star also
cautioned Kohli's men against the
odds specially in overseas conditions
and after a successful home
season.
"It will be a great challenge.
Lot of people expect us to win easily
there but I don't think it would
be that easy. Yes we are better
side than what we used to be in
the past. "But overseas is always
a different ballgame. You see that
when other teams come here it is
the same for them.
"We are going with high hopes,
and depending more on our bowling
strength this time around.
Now it depends on the team management
with which combination
they go into the match. For the
past 1-2 years, I haven't seen a settled
bowling line-up, so it will be
the management's call," he added.
India will be tough opponents: SA coach
Indo-Asian News Service
Agencies
NEW DELHI: Former India skipper
Mahendra Singh Dhoni will
once again be seen in his favourite
yellow jersey in the Indian
Premier League's (IPL) 2018 season
as the Chennai Super Kings
retained the Ranchi stumper
along with Suresh Raina and allrounder
Ravindra Jadeja. Dhoni
has been retained for Rs 15 crore
while Raina and Jadeja were kept
for Rs 11 crore and Rs 7 crore, respectively.
The CSK franchise, back into
the IPL fold after serving a twoyear
ban, has two Right-to-Match
options left, which they can use
during the IPL auction on January
27 and 28.
Rajasthan Royals, the other
franchise to return after a twoyear
ban, has retained Australia
skipper Steve Smith (Rs 12 crore)
and surprisingly pushed the likes
of star batsman Ajinkya Rahane
back into the auction pool.
CAPE TOWN: South Africa coach
Ottis Gibson has warned his team
that India may prove to be tough
opponents during the upcoming
three-match Test series.
"They are currently ranked
number one and they've got a lot
of world class players and world
class players aren't just world
class in their own back yards,"
Gibson told the media here.
"They're a very good team and
I think they will travel a lot better
now. We know for sure that it is
going to be a tough series. I don't
think you're going to see them fold
as much as they may have done in
the past," he added.
The wicket for the first Test --
which begins here on January 5 --
shows a distinct green tinge. With
fast bowlers Kagiso Rabada, Vernon
Philander and Morne Morkel
set to take the field for South Africa,
Gibson hoped the hosts will be
able to enjoy the upper hand.
"I'm not expecting it to change
too much between now and Friday,"
the Proteas coach said when
asked about the wicket.
Gibson has had previous experience
against the Indian team. He
was England's bowling coach in
2016 during their disatrous tour of
The other surprise came in
the form of Gautam Gambhir,
who was sent into the auction
pool despite guiding the Kolkata
Knight Riders (KKR) to lifting the
silverware twice (2012 and 2014).
The Shah Rukh Khan-coowned
franchise retained the
West Indian duo of Sunil Narine
(Rs 8.5 crore) and Andre Russell
India which saw them crash 0-4 in
a five-match Test series.
However, the 48-year-old is
confident that a full strength
South African pace attack will be
able to give a tough challenge to
the Indian batting line-up.
"They were too good for us.
They played really well and were
led very well by the captain, who
got a lot of runs. There were times
in those conditions where we
(Rs 7 crore).
Similarly, Royal Challengers
Bangalore (RCB) released West
Indian power-hitter Chris Gayle
while retaining India skipper
Virat Kohli (Rs 17 crore), South
African AB de Villiers (Rs 11
crore) and young Sarfraz Khan
(Rs 1.75 crore). Delhi Daredevils
expectedly retained the young
couldn't get him out," Gibson recalled.
"I think in these conditions it
will be a lot different. We'll have
some plans for him as we will for
every other player in the team," he
added.
Gibson also felt that the current
Proteas pace attack was the
best the country has had in a long
time which gives a strong chance
to win the upcoming three-match
Test series.
"This attack has Steyn,
Morkel, Rabada, Philander, Chris
Morris and Keshav Maharaj, who
is a world class spinner. Perhaps
the best that the country has had
for a long time," he said.
"It's a world class bowling attack
and we just have to try and
come up with the right combination
to go and win this Test
match."
Dhoni, Raina are back in Chennai Super Kings
Indian duo of Rishabh Pant (Rs
8 crore) and Shreyas Iyer (Rs 7
crore) along with South African
all-rounder Chris Morris (Rs 7.1
crore).
Mumbai Indians also went
along expected lines retaining
their three-time IPL winning
skipper Rohit Sharma (Rs 15
crore) along with all-rounder
Hardik Pandya (Rs 11 crore) and
death-overs bowling specialist
Jasprit Bumrah (Rs 7 crore).
Rohit guided the Mumbai
franchise to IPL titles in 2013, 2015
and 2017.Sunrisers Hyderabad
also sprang a surprise by releasing
India opener Shikhar Dhawan
and Afghanistan spin sensation
Rashid Khan but retained Australian
David Warner (Rs 12 crore)
along with pacer Bhuvneshwar
Kumar (Rs 8 crore).
After another dismal 2017
season, Kings XI Punjab retained
just left-arm spinner Axar Patel
(Rs 6.75 crore) for the next season.