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South Africa vs India
Freedom Series
SuperSport Park
Centurion
Sunday 26 December - Thursday 30 December 2021
1st of three-match Betway Test series
India are confident of claiming their first
Freedom Series win on South African soil at the eighth time of asking.
South Africa will host the world's top ranked side in a three-match Betway Test series, with the first to be played at SuperSport Park in Centurion starting Boxing Day.
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India have been in superb Test form of late and won three of their six 2021-23 ICC World Test Championship (WTC) matches to date. They claimed two wins out of four matches in their shortened series with England, while continuing their dominant home form with a 1-0 Test series win over New Zealand over the past month.
Furthermore, India beat Australia in Australia 12 months ago in a thrilling Test series from which they will take a lot of confidence heading into the Freedom Series.
"This is the best opportunity for us to win our first series in South Africa,”said India batsman Cheteshwar Pujara.
India's seam bowlers have been a large part of their recent success and captain Virat Kohli is likely to lean heavily on the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and co once more.
"Our fast bowlers have been the difference between the two sides whenever we have played abroad. If you look at the Australia series, even if you look at the England series, we have done exceptionally well as a bowling unit and I am sure that will be the case even in South Africa," Pujara added.
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India will be without two key players with both Rohit Sharma (India's top ranked Test batsman) and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja currently out injured.
KL Rahul has been named as vice-captain in Sharma's absence while the in-form Ravichandran Ashwin, who took 4/8 & 4/34 in his most recent Test match, to accumulate the majority of India's spin overs, with his incredible record against left-handed batsman sure to have a say in the Test series.
Head-to-head record in Test matches since 1992:
Test matches: 39
South Africa wins: 15
India wins: 14
Draws: 10
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