India make three changes to the line-up for Centurion Test

SportsCafe Desk

BySportsCafe Desk,SportsCafe Editor

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After being handed a 72-run defeat in the first Test in Cape Town, India have made as many as three changes to the line-up for the second match in Highveld. While KL Rahul has come in to replace Shikhar Dhawan, Parthiv Patel and Ishant Sharma have also handed opportunities for the second Test.

In a forgettable day for the Indian batsmen at Newlands, the team were bundled out for a paltry 135 runs gifting the hosts a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. Vernon Philander took centre stage, picking a six-wicket haul in the second innings and that has forced the team management to bring about wholesome changes to the line-up. 

After Dhawan’s fragility against the moving ball was exposed in the Newlands Test, Virat Kohli has decided to go with KL Rahul to partner Murali Vijay. Wriddhiman Saha, who has picked up a “hamstring niggle”, has been replaced by Parthiv Patel, who will double up as a proper batsman in the middle-order.

However, surprisingly, the team has decided to swap first Test’s best performer Bhuvneshwar Kumar (6/120) for Ishant Sharma to “get some extra bounce”. 

South Africa, on the other hand, were forced into a change as local boy Lungi Ngidi has been handed a debut cap to replace an injured Dale Steyn in the line-up. 

India (Playing XI) : Murali Vijay, Lokesh Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli(c), Rohit Sharma, Parthiv Patel(w), Hardik Pandya, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma.

South Africa (Playing XI) : Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram, Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, Faf du Plessis(c), Quinton de Kock(w), Vernon Philander, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungisani Ngidi, Morne Morkel.

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