India Predicted Playing 11 for 3rd Test vs South Africa: Focus on Virat Kohli, Siraj at Cape Town

Cape Town, January 11: India will attempt to win the Test series when they face South Africa in the third Test at the Newlands Stadium from January 11. The three-match series is currently poised at 1-1 after both teams won a match each at Centurion and Johannesburg.

India have never won a Test series in South Africa and they will be eager to use this chance and etch a piece of history at Cape Town.

They have couple of issues to sort out prior to the third Test in terms of team selection. Regular Test skipper Virat Kohli had missed the second Test at the Wanderers, which the Proteas won by 7 wickets, with an upper back spasm.

Both head coach Rahul Dravid and stand-in-captain KL Rahul hinted that Kohli is nearing his match fitness and has started training at nets and fielding practice. It may come as welcome portend for India as they missed the passion and energy that Kohli brings to the field.

India appeared to have been going through motions on the fourth day of the second Test South Africa, led by Dean Elgar, rattled Indian bowlers and garnered the required 122 runs with much ease.

So, India will be eager to welcome back Kohli in the series deciding Cape Town Test.

"Virat Kohli should be fine from all accounts, he should be fine. He has had the opportunity to run around a little bit, he has had the opportunity to test it a little bit. Hopefully with a couple of net sessions in Cape Town, he should be good to go. Everything I am hearing and just having a chat with him, he should be good to go in four days time," said Dravid.

In another dilemma, pacer Mohammad Siraj bowled way below his best in the second Test after suffering a hamstring injury. Siraj gave away more than six runs per over in the second innings and was a pale shadow of the energetic bowler that he actually is.

India might consider bringing either Ishant Sharma or Umesh Yadav if Siraj is not recovered in time for the third Test. But as things stand now, India might opt for Ishant because he has the experience of playing in South Africa and can extract bounce from the pitch because of his height, something the SA pacers did well at Johannesburg.

In all likelihood, India will retain the experienced duo of Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane for the Cape Town Test as they showed some semblance of form at Wanderers scoring a fifty apiece.

KL Rahul too indicated as much. "They have been great players for us (on Pujara and Rahane), have always done the job for us over the years, have been under the pump recently.

“But we believe Pujara and Rahane are our best middle-order players, to go out there, bat in that mindset and play such an innings. It'll give them confidence and make them do even better in the next Test," said Rahul after the third Test.

Possible India 11 for 3rd Test: KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (Captain), Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant (wk), Shardul Thakur, R Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma.