K L Rahul is likely to don the wicketkeeper gloves for India in the first Test against South Africa that begins in Pretoria today, despite having started only one first class match in the role in the past.Rahul has been keeper for India numerous times in white-ball cricket, but never in the longest format of the game.With Ishan Kishan having asked to be excused from the two-match series in South Africa, opportunity knocks for the 31-year-old Rahul, who is also an important top order batter."I see it as an exciting challenge and an opportunity for him to certainly do something different," India coach Rahul Dravid told reporters on Sunday."We have a couple of keepers we can choose from. Rahul is certainly one. We have had this discussion with him, he is very confident, he is very keen on giving it a go."He has prepared well over the last five or six months. He has done a lot of keeping, even though it’s in the white-ball format. But this will be a new and exciting challenge for him."India won on their last visit to Centurion Park in 2021, which was also the first test of the series. On that occasion there were three matches and the home side rallied to win 2-1, as India still seek a first series win in South Africa."For us, the big challenge is if we can put some runs on the board and score those critical extra 60-70 that gives you a great chance," Dravid said. ""If I go back to the last series, the one thing we did here (Pretoria) really well was we had a good first innings. We got to 327. If you can put up those kinds of scores on challenging wickets, you put yourself ahead in a Test match."Batters hold key to India series, says BavumaSouth Africa is one of the most challenging places in the world for batters and the side which can adapt to the seamer friendly conditions quickest has the best chance of success in the first Test against India, according to home captain Temba Bavuma.Both teams possess excellent fast bowling attacks and on a Centurion Park wicket likely to have pace and bounce from day one on Tuesday, it will be a real test for each side’s top six.If India or South Africa can get 60-80 runs above the average first innings score in Pretoria of 329, it will likely put them in the driving seat."The fact that they (India) have been able to achieve such success is because of their bowling attack and that kind of nullifies the advantage we have (of home conditions). It’s more between the batters and how the batters take on that challenge," Bavuma told reporters on Sunday."For me as a batter, the bowlers are going to put you under pressure and with their batting line-up as well, they (India) have got renowned Test players and guys who performed in all conditions."South Africa have not had a drawn Test at home in their last 32 matches dating back to a rain-affected game against New Zealand in 2016. They have won 24 of those.But with inclement weather predicted for the first two days in Pretoria, this could be a shortened Test as India go in search of a first ever series win in South Africa."There’s a lot of pride attached to the fact we have been able to keep that record intact as a South African team, all of us as players also feel that," Bavuma said."Playing against India comes with a lot more eyes and a lot more scrutiny in terms of everything we do. So it’s accepting that. And the other, more obvious one, is the skill factor on the field."They are a determined team that want to be able to say that they have won a Test series here in South Africa. With that extra drive and motivation, it is a team against who we will have to be at our best."
December 25, 2023 | 11:50 PM