SA vs IND 2023: India’s predicted XI for the first Test match against South Africa

Middle-Order: Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk)

It’s safe to say that the management has moved on from Cheteshwar Pujara and Shubman Gill is expected to bat at No.3 in the long run. For the No.4 position, Team India will unsurprisingly have the services of Virat Kohli.

Ajinkya Rahane’s exclusion has made it evident that the management wishes to push Shreyas Iyer in the Test format. He is a solid batter who can serve Indian cricket for a long time.

For the wicketkeeper position, the toss-up will be between KL Rahul and KS Bharat after Ishan Kishan pulled out of the series due to personal reasons. Considering South Africa’s difficult batting conditions, Rahul is likely to get the nod ahead of Bharat.

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