South Africa vs India – 1st Test Match Prediction

The Freedom Series - 1st Test Match Prediction - South Africa vs India The Freedom Series - 1st Test Match Prediction - South Africa vs India
TournamentThe Freedom Series
Timetable26th - 30th December 2021 at 13:30 IST
PredictionDraw
Odds2.80 (Bet ₹2500 and win ₹7000)
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Odds : 2.95
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The India cricket team is set for their tour of South Africa to take on the South Africans in a Test series that is made up of three matches. The first Test will be played on the 26th of December at SuperSport Park in Centurion. India have played seven Tests in South Africa and have lost six of them and drew the other, so they will be looking for their first Test match cricket series win in South Africa. So, will they manage to get their series off to a flier, or will South Africa put them on the back foot? Read our cricket match prediction below and find out our view.

South Africa Team Preview

South Africa have not played any Test cricket since June, when they played the West Indies in two Tests and won the first by an innings and 63 runs and the second by 158 runs. As a result, they might be a little bit rusty going into this first Test match.

The Saffers have a really good batting line-up and the Indian bowling attack will have their eyes on three batsmen that they will want to see the back of really quickly. These are Dean Elgar, Quinton de Kock, and Aiden Markram, but there is one player that we think everyone should keep an eye on and that is Rassie Van der Dussen. If you are going to do some Top Batsman batting at cricket betting sites, then we would suggest that you put some money on Van der Dussen to be their top scorer.

They are not lacking in the bowling department either thanks to the likes of Kagiso Rabada, who has picked up 213 wickets at an average of 22.75. This includes 10 five-wicket hauls and four 10-wicket hauls. Then they have another exciting prospect in the form of Duaan Olivier, who has only played 10 Tests and has already picked up 48 wickets at an average of 19.25. Their bowling attack will probably be completed by the likes of Lungi Ngidi and Keshav Maharaj, who will be their sole spinner.

If you want to place a bet when online cricket betting on a market such as the Top Bowler, then we would be inclined to tell you that it is best if you put your money on Rabada.

India Team Preview

While we think that the South Africa team is pretty much set in stone, this is not the case for the Indian team. This makes perfect sense since India have more choices in each position than any other cricket nation. It is likely that KL Rahul will open the batting alongside Mayank Agarwal, while we are certain that Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara are certain to start. Therefore, there will be Shreyas Iyer, Ajinkya Rahane, and Hanuma Vihari fighting it out for the number five spot. We believe that the nod will go to Rahane for the first test.

When it comes to their bowling attack, we expect to see Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Shami lead the attack. Bumrah already has 101 wickets in 24 Tests at an average of 22.79, while Shami has 195 wickets at an average of 27.56 from the 54 matches that he has taken part in. The two other pace bowlers will probably be Shardul Thakur and Ishant Sharma, while Ravi Ashwin will be the team's sole spin bowler.

Toss Prediction

Sometimes the toss plays a big role in a Test match, but over the years it has not made that much of a difference at SuperSport Park, Centurion. In the 26 matches that have been played there, 11 have been won by the side that bats first, while 11 have also been won by the team that batted second.

So, what do we think that captain that wins the toss on Sunday will decide to do? Well, it will depend on what the wicket looks like - if it is green, then the captain that wins the coin toss will opt to bowl first so that they can take advantage of bowler friendly conditions. The team that bats first will look to score around 320 runs as this is par for this wicket – anything less, and they will be behind the game after just the first innings.

Pitch and Weather Conditions

If the weather reports are correct, then it looks like the first two days of this Test are going to be interrupted by the weather. This is the last thing that fans will want because they have been looking forward to this Test series for a long time. It is predicted that there will be thunderstorms and thick cloud cover over the first two days, with a 60% chance of rain.

Alongside the rain, reports are suggesting that the SuperSport Park wicket is one that will assist the pace bowlers more than the spin bowlers as it will have a greenish tinge to it. If this is the case, then both teams should be able to exploit the conditions as both sides have quality pace bowlers.

Our Match Prediction

If you look at the odds that the bookmakers have on offer, you will see that they all have India as the favourites to go and win the first Test. There is no doubt that India have a quality team and can win the first Test, but the weather and the fact that they have never won a Test series in South Africa could play heavily against them. However, due to the weather, we think that this first Test will end up finishing in a draw.

Our match prediction: Draw

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