Best pace attack in 30 years makes India favourites in first two Tests against South Africa: Ali Bacher

South
Africa
remains
one
of
the
very
few
places
where
India
have
not
won
a
Test
series,
and
the
Virat
Kohli-led
side
is
determined
to
end
the
wait
this
time
around.

“The
first
two
Tests
are
to
be
played
in
Centurion,
which
is
nearly
5000
feet
above
sea
level
and
the
Wanderers,
Johannesburg
which
is
nearly
6000
feet
above
sea
level.
“The
rarefied
atmosphere
at
these
two
Test
grounds
plus
the
fast
bouncy
pitches
at
the
Wanderers
and
SuperSport
Park
generally
favour
fast
bowlers.

“The
current
Indian
team
has
the
best
pace
attack
I
have
seen
in
the
past
thirty
years.
Therefore,
India
will
start
as
favourites
for
the
first
two
Test
matches,”
Bacher
told
News
18.

Besides
being
a
former
cricketer,
the
79-year-old
Bacher
also
played
a
key
role
in
the
country’s
successful
conduct
of
the
2003
ICC
World
Cup.
The
Indian
pace
attack
comprises
Jasprit
Bumrah,
Mohammed
Shami,
Mohammad
Siraj,
Ishant
Sharma
and
Umesh
Yadav.

Heading
into
the
first
Test,
India
will
be
full
of
confidence
having
won
a
second
consecutive
Test
series
in
Australia
earlier
this
year
and
taken
an
unassailable
2-1
lead
in
England
before
the
fifth
and
final
Test
had
to
be
postponed
to
2022
because
of
a
coronavirus
outbreak.
The
last
time
India
had
toured
South
Africa,
in
2018,
the
Proteas
had
won
the
three-match
Test
series
2-1.

Team
India
under
captain
Virat
Kohli
will
be
attempting
to
record
their
first-ever
Test
series
win
in
South
Africa
this
time,
and
it
promises
a
thrilling
spectacle.

But
the
Boxing
Day
Test
will
be
special
for
individual
reasons
too
as
some
players
will
be
looking
to
create
a
few
milestones
at
Centurion.

Milestones
players
eye
in
the
match-

Kohli
(98)
needs
two
more
catches
to
complete
100
catches
in
Test
cricket.

India
vice-captain
KL
Rahul
(49)
needs
one
more
catch
to
reach
50
catches
in
Test
cricket.

India
senior
pacer
Mohammed
Shami
(195)
needs
five
more
wickets
to
complete
200
Test
wickets.

Senior
off-spinner
R
Ashwin
(427)
needs
eight
more
wickets
to
go
past
legendary
Kapil
Dev
(434)
to
become
the
second-highest
wicket-taker
for
India
in
Test
cricket.

South
Africa’s
middle-order
batsman
Aiden
Markram
(395)
requires
five
fours
to
complete
400
fours
across
all
three
formats.