India tour of South Africa: Team India prepare for big Test; train for the first time at Centurion – Team India are in South Africa and have begun preparations for their upcoming Test series against the Proteas starting later this month. Virat Kohli and Co. landed in the Rainbow earlier this week and have been busy getting in shape at Supersport in Centurion, the venue for the first test of the series. India are looking for their maiden series win on South African soil, having never won a Test series before in seven previous attempts.
India tour of South Africa: Team India prepare for big Test; train for the first time at Centurion
After a day of rest and fun and games, Team India got back to the grind as they prepare for the 1st Test against South Africa. Virat Kohli and Co. engaged in a game of footvolley to recharge their batteries before undergoing their first training session. The Indian captain later posed with the likes of Ravichandran Ashwin, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Siraj and Co. after the session and shared the update on social media. Check it here:
Session 1
Done ✅ pic.twitter.com/JKwLhoaPeZ— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) December 18, 2021
Hello SuperSport Park 🏟️#TeamIndia #SAvIND pic.twitter.com/TGmMELh2Bf
— BCCI (@BCCI) December 18, 2021
Amid all the preparations, the All India Selection Committee announced that KL Rahul will be named as the vice-captain of the Indian team for the Tests against South Africa. Regular vice-captain Ajinya Rahane was sacked before the tour, and his replacement Rohit Sharma pulled out at the last minute with an injury. Rahul had recently reinstated himself in the playing XI and was one of India’s finest performers in the tour of England earlier this year.
#TeamIndia begin preparations for the first Test in Jo’Burg. 👍 👍
First practice session done ✅#SAvIND pic.twitter.com/KzI1eJ5TuL
— BCCI (@BCCI) December 18, 2021
India tour of South Africa: Team India prepare for big Test; train for the first time at Centurion
India have never won a series before in South Africa, and Virat Kohli and Co. will be aiming to make history when they take the field on Boxing Day. India have played twice at the Supersport Park in Centurion, losing by a huge margin on both occasions. In 2010, South Africa registered an innings and 25 run win over the Indians, while they followed it up with a 135-run success over Virat Kohli and Co. eight years later.
India vs South Africa at Centurion
Most runs
- AB de Villiers – 229 in 3 innings
- Hashim Amla – 223 in 3 innings
- Jacques Kallis – 201 in 1 innings
- Virat Kohli – 158 in two innings
- Sachin Tendulkar – 147 in two innings
Highest score
- Jacques Kallis – 201*
- Virat Kohli – 153
- Hashim Amla – 140
- AB de Villiers – 129
- Sachin Tendulkar – 111
Most wickets
- Morne Morkel – 11
- Ishant Sharma – 7
- Dale Steyn – 7
- Lungi Ngidi – 7
- Mohammed Shami – 5
Best bowling
- Lungi Ngidi – 6/39
- Morne Morkel – 5/20
- Mohammed Shami – 4/49
- Morne Morkel – 4/60
- Dale Steyn – 4/105
Highest total: South Africa 620/4 dec, India 459
Lowest total: India 136 all out, South Africa 258
