India is poised to face South Africa in the Boxing Day Test at Centurion’s SuperSport Park Cricket Stadium, marking the return of key players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Jasprit Bumrah. This comes after their participation in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup final. The Test squad, led by Rohit, engaged in an intra-squad match at Tuks Oval in Pretoria. Rohit, aiming to secure India’s first Test series win on South African soil, emphasizes the team’s determination following their World Cup loss.

The trio’s return to the Test squad adds experience to the team, previously rested for the T20I and ODI series against South Africa. The Men in Blue drew the T20I series 1-1 and won the ODI series 2-1. Rohit’s leadership will be crucial as India seeks to break the streak, having never won a Test series in South Africa, losing seven out of eight series.

Looking ahead, Rohit emphasizes the team’s desire for a significant victory. The upcoming series presents an opportunity for India to showcase their capabilities and move beyond the World Cup setback. However, challenges persist as South Africa, led by Temba Bavuma, aims to maintain its home Test record against India.

With Rohit, Kohli, and Bumrah back, India’s Test team boasts a mix of youth and experience. Players like Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill add youthful exuberance to India’s batting lineup. Test stalwarts Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, along with other players like Prasidh Krishna and Mukesh Kumar, are set to contribute to the two-match Test series.

The first Test in Centurion promises an intriguing clash, with KL Rahul behind the stumps and players like Shreyas Iyer and Mohammed Siraj expected to play pivotal roles. As for South Africa, the retirement announcement of Dean Elgar adds an emotional touch to the series. South Africa’s relatively inexperienced batting order relies heavily on its potent pace attack.

The SuperSport Park Cricket Stadium in Centurion will host the match on Tuesday, December 26, starting at 1:30 PM IST. The broadcast will be available on Star Sports and Hotstar.

Predicted XIs:
India: Rohit Sharma (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (WK), Shreyas Iyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin/Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj.

South Africa: Dean Elgar, Tony de Zorzi, Temba Bavuma (C), Aiden Markram, Keegan Petersen, Kyle Verreynne (WK), Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Gerald Coetzee, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi.

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