India vs South Africa | Statistical Preview - Ranchi Test
Riding on the back of two lop-sided victories in the series so far, India will be eyeing a whitewash when they face South Africa in the third Test in Ranchi. Meanwhile, the visitors will play for pride but Bodog has given them a slim chance of actually salvaging anything from the game.
Form guide
India - W-W-W-W-D-W-L-W-W-W
India is yet to drop a single point since the commencement of the ICC World Test Championships, having won all four matches so far. While the away wins against West Indies were no fluke, their dominance on home soil was evident from the crushing victories over South Africa in Vizag and Pune. The last time when India lost a Test was way back in December last year against Australia in Perth and has won seven out of the last ten Tests. With the points coming into play, Kohli and Co would be eager to grab the initiative to stay at the top of the standings.
South Africa – L-L-L-L-W-W-W-L-L-W
Unfortunately for South Africa, they have extended their losing streak to four matches which is a big reason to worry for them. Crippled with the departure of quality players like Dale Steyn, AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla, South Africa still do not have enough reasons to explain their disastrous display in the ongoing series. While the loss to Sri Lanka at home was a bitter pill to swallow, India’s tour is piling more misery into the Proteas side which is in its transition phase. Having the better of Pakistan in the three-match series earlier this year is the only silver lining for the Africans recently in the longest format.
Head to Head
India: W - 13, L - 15, D - 10
South Africa: W - 15, L - 13, D - 10
Key Batsmen
Virat Kohli
The Indian skipper has not only shown his resilience with the bat in the last Test match but also displayed witty captaincy abilities which enabled India to wrap up the second Test in just four days. Having called off the innings just after reaching the 250-run mark shows his attitude of not settling for anything less than a win. On the brink of inflicting a whitewash in the three-match series, Virat Kohli will once again hold the cards for India in the batting line-up although the top order has been phenomenal too. Having scored the mammoth double ton last match, his average has rocketed to 72.14 against the ‘Proteas’ at home, which has forced Bodog to back him up as the top batsman for the Ranchi Test.
Faf du Plessis
The South African batsman has not been able to produce something special for his team in the last couple of matches, but the fact that he has been able to stay at the crease for a long time makes him his existence even more important. Du Plessis scored a couple of half-centuries in the series but his average away to India still remains an unimpressive 17.90 in 6 matches. Even though Dean Elgar and Quinton de Kock scored centuries each in the ongoing series, Bodog has given the Protean skipper an edge over other batsmen ahead of the final Test.
Key Bowlers
Ravichandran Ashwin
With 14 wickets in the series so far, the off-spinner has already been a nightmare for the South African batsmen. Getting past the 350-wicket mark during the course of the series added another feather to Ashwin’s cap. While right-arm bowler has struggled away to South Africa, he is a master in the art on home conditions as seen during the 7-wicket haul in Vizag. In the six matches he played against South Africa in India, Ashwin has scalped 45 wickets at an average of 14.40. That was enough reason for Bodog to pick him as the favourite to deliver for the Indians in the upcoming tie.
Kagiso Rabada
Arguably one of the top fast bowlers in the world right now, he is yet to prove himself in Indian conditions with an unimpressive average of 51.83. He was unlucky in the first Test at Vizag, where he managed to pick up a single wicket in the entire match. Rabada showed a vast improvement in the second Test having picked up 3 wickets for 49 runs, his best bowling figures in India. With a flat wicket expected in Ranchi, the onus will be on Rabada to make the most of the new ball. Bodog has also shown faith in the speedster to make the difference for the Proteas in the Test.
Venue statistics
The Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA) in Ranchi has hosted only one Test match so far back in 2017 during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. It was a run-fest at the eastern city with Australian skipper Steve Smith scoring a memorable ton to post a total of 451. India gave a fitting reply with Cheteshwar Pujara scoring a double century followed by a century from Wriddhiman Saha. India declared with 603 runs while the visitors survived till Day 5 to end the match in a draw. Bodog is expecting big scores in the third Test between India and South Africa with the pitch not likely to assist the bowlers.
Bodog Predictions
Going by the recent trend, Bodog has made India the favourites by a huge margin and it's completely justified. With the star-studded batting line-up and a fierce bowling attack, giving South Africa a chance would be living in fool’s paradise. As per Bodog, Virat Kohli is expected to continue his wrath with his blade while Ravichandran Ashwin is the favourite with the ball. From the South African point of view, Faf du Plessis and Kagiso Rabada are expected to shine in the Ranchi Test.
Squads
India: Virat Kohli (Capt), Mayank Agarwal, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane (vc), Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (wk), Wriddhiman Saha (wk), R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Shubman Gill
South Africa: Faf du Plessis (c), Temba Bavuma (vc), Theunis de Bruyn, Quinton de Kock, Dean Elgar, Zubayr Hamza, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Senuran Muthusamy, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Vernon Philander, Dane Piedt, Kagiso Rabada, Heinrich Klaasen.
Venue: Jharkhand State Cricket Association Stadium, Ranchi
When to watch: October 19-23, 2019, 9.30 AM
Where to watch: Hotstar and Star Network
To get a constant track of the game and check out whether India is inching towards a victory or South Africa is nearing to an unimaginable draw, follow the game on Bodog.
Predicted XI
India: Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane (vc), Hanuma Vihari, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishant Sharma, Mohammad Shami
South Africa: Aiden Markram, Dean Elgar, Thenuis De Bruyn, Temba Bavuma (vc), Faf Du Plessis (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Senuran Muthusamy, Vernon Philander, Dane Piedt, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi