How Test XI will be shaped by IND’s SA series: Iyer chapter to conclude upon Pant’s comeback

Even though India was unable to win a Test series in South Africa, they were still very impressive as they leveled the series in the second Test held in Cape Town on a very dangerous ground. After losing 23 wickets in the first Test, which was completed in two days, the second one proved to be rather historic. Towards the end of the first day, South Africa lost three more wickets, and both teams were bowled out once. Aiden Markram hit a spectacular 106 off 103 balls to help South Africa reach 176 on Day 2, but they were only able to set a target of 79, which India easily chased. So they created a test only the second time that a series has taken place in South Africa; the first time was in 2010–11.

India should be proud of themselves for the sheer determination they demonstrated in both the first and second Tests, but there were also several things to consider. Here, we examine five important lessons that India should learn from their two-Test visit to South Africa.

Kohli has found his game again.
Virat Kohli’s dry stretch lasted for more than three years, so much so that observers and fans continue to watch him closely anytime he plays in a format other than one-day internationals. In the One-Day Internationals this year, Kohli broke numerous records with a strike rate of 99.13 and a massive 1377 runs, including six hundreds. He had only played eight Tests in 2023—more so than any other year due to India’s preoccupation with One-Day Internationals—and had scored two hundreds after failing to score at least one hundred in the three years prior. Even though he didn’t get a century in South Africa, Kohli was by far the greatest player for India. At 172 runs, he was the team’s top scorer.

Rahul will remain in the middle order.
KL Rahul has essentially had a banner year in 2023. Before this series, nobody would have thought that Rishabh Pant’s ability to return to the Indian Test team as a batsman and wicketkeeper would ever be in doubt, but Rahul has demonstrated that there is always fight for every spot in this team. Rahul might have scored in the single digits in this series’ second and third innings, the latter of which set off India’s stunning collapse on the opening day of the second Test. However, it is difficult to ignore his well-executed century of 101 runs off 137 balls in the opening Test innings. Rahul played his debut Test series as a wicketkeeper, and he did more than just hold his own; he was skipper Rohit Sharma’s go-to man for DRS calls and rarely made mistakes in the role. But given Pant’s impressive body of work, it is still reasonable to assume that, should he be able to, he will be immediately put back into that position upon his return. For the time being, it is safe to assume that India may be inclined to view Rahul as a middle-order long-term alternative rather than as their starting wicketkeeper.

A reality check for the younger batters in India
In July 2023, Yashasvi Jaiswal made history by smashing an incredible 171 off 387 balls during his debut Test innings in the West Indies. He then responded with a handful of explosive innings in the series’ next game. But the West Indies aren’t quite as powerful as they were thirty years ago, and Jaiswal was severely tested in South Africa. In the first Test, he managed just 17 and 5, and in the opening over of the second, he was out for a duck. Nevertheless, the 22-year-old did well for himself, scoring 28 runs off of 23 balls in the second innings and laying the groundwork for India’s 79-run chase.Even though South Africa has been a difficult venue for the best Indian batters, Jaiswal is a talented player, and this series may have helped him pinpoint the areas he needs to improve. Even though Shubman Gill was just marginally superior, he is receiving more attention because of his remarkable ODI cricket success this year and the fact that he is now starting in place of Cheteshwar Pujara, a veteran of the Indian Test team, at number three. In the first Test, Gill was able to score 36 and 10, and in the second, two and 26.

Concerns about India’s bowling depth and pace
Commentators and supporters alike were quick to criticize Rohit for starting the second session of Day 2 with Shardul Thakur and Prasidh Krishna rather than returning to Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj. In the first session, Siraj and Bumrah had the South Africans dancing to their music, but when Prasidh and Thakur entered the picture, the threat abruptly changed. Siraj and Bumrah were unstoppable, but when they had to be removed, there was a noticeable decline in quality, which should worry India. Over the past six years, their pace battery has helped them establish a solid reputation as a good touring side, but in this case, their third and fourth seamers.

Pant’s comeback might spell Shreyas Iyer’s doom.
The only player who might actually feel challenged by Pant’s comeback is Shreyas Iyer, since India is predicted to stick with Jaiswal, Gill, and Rahul as their middle-order stars. During the first innings, he scored 31 when every bowler in South Africa—aside from Kagiso Rabada—was bowling incorrectly in terms of length and line. In that innings, he was dismissed by an unplayable delivery from an enraged Rabada, and he might not have been able to stop the second and third dismissals either, but given the competition for positions, his performances on this tour could work against him. Not helping matters is the fact that in his last eight Test innings, he has managed just four, twelve, zero, thirty-six, six, and four runs without out..

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