IND vs SA 1st Test: Venue, Start Time in IST, Key Players, Top Stats, Where To Watch

Indian Cricket Team India is set to play its last match of the year 2023 as Rohit Sharma and his band lock horns with South Africa in the first Test of the two-match series, starting Tuesday (December 26).

The Boxing Day Test between India and South Africa will be played at the SuperSport Park in Centurion. South Africa, under the captaincy of Temba Bavuma, will be aiming to end the year on a positive note by defeating a strong Indian side that boasts of quality batting and bowling attack.

South Africa's Record in Test Cricket at Centurion

South Africa has been successful in eight out of their last nine men's Tests at SuperSport Park in Centurion, with their only loss during that period being a 113-run defeat against India in December 2021. India vs South Africa 1st Test Day 1: Centurion Weather Update, Will Rain play spoilsport today?

Team India's impressive run in Test Cricket

India has had an impressive record, losing only one of their last seven men's Test series, winning five and drawing one. They are currently on a four-series winning streak, the longest since October 2018 to November 2019.

South Africa vs India: Head To Head & Recent Results in Tests

In 2023, South Africa remains unbeaten in men's Tests with two wins and a draw. The last time they had such a clean record for a calendar year was in 2012. The Proteas secured a 2-1 victory over India in their most recent men's Test series in January 2022. They are now aiming for back-to-back series wins against India for the first time since November 2001.

In the eight Test series played by India on South African soil, they have faced defeat in seven of them. The only instance where the trend changed for India was in the 2010-2011 tour when they managed to level the series at Kingsmead after South Africa's initial victory in Centurion. A closely contested draw ensued at Newlands.

Out of the 23 Test matches India has locked horns with South Africa in the latter's backyard, they have secured just four victories. Their winning percentage of 17.39 in this country is lower than their percentages in Australia, England, and Pakistan.

Who are the captains for the IND vs SA Boxing Day 2023 Test?

South Africa will be led by Temba Bavuma while Rohit Sharma is set to lead India in the series. Rohit will be leading India for the first time against South Africa in the red-ball format.

Bavuma is close to joining the 3,000-run club for South Africa in men's Tests, needing just three more runs. However, he has been dismissed for zero runs in his last two Test innings at SuperSport Park in Centurion.

In the last three Test innings in 2023, India skipper Rohit Sharma has had scores of 103, 80, and 57. All these scores came against the West Indies in the Caribbean. Team India won the series 1-0.

IND vs SA 1st Test Key Players

While captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli - who is one of the most successful batters in the last ten years in Tests for the country - will once again be the key players for coach Rahul Dravid's team. Several young guns will be aiming to make a mark in the Rainbow Nation with their performances.

Yashasvi Jaiswal has been a significant contributor, scoring 26% of India's runs in men's Tests in 2023, ranking second among players for their respective teams. Gary Ballance leads with 30% for Zimbabwe.

Shubman Gill is 34 runs away from reaching 1,000 runs for India in men's Tests. His Test batting average in 2023 (32.9) is the highest in a calendar year with a minimum of three innings.

Keshav Maharaj is on the verge of reaching 50 appearances for South Africa in men's Tests, but his Test bowling average against India (94.8) is the highest against any team.

Tony de Zorzi the top-order batter did exceedingly well for the Proteas in the just-concluded ODI series against India where he was the top-rungetter with scores of 28, 119*, and 81. The talented left-handed batter will be looking to translate his white-ball heroics in the red-ball as well against a strong Indian bowling lineup.

When and Where To Watch India vs South Africa Boxing Day Test 2023?

The match between India and South Africa will begin at 1:30 PM IST and it will be telecasted on StarSports Network in India. Fans can watch the live streaming of SA vs IND match on Disney+Hotstar.