South Africa vs India: Virat Kohli To Opt For A Major Change In The Last Test

Virat Kohli enjoys a grip on Indian team which no other player can boast of. Being the captain, and most importantly, the most consistent member of the squad, his decisions are the final words, his actions are a benchmark. But, every now and then, a skipper’s decisions are criticised or debated and such is the case with the ongoing South Africa vs India series.

Leaving the team’s most successful overseas performer, as well as the vice-captain in Tests, Ajinkya Rahane, on the bench and opting for limited-overs specialist Rohit Sharma for the first two Tests against Proteas hasn’t gone well with the critics and fans alike. We know Rahane’s capabilities to save his wicket and just be there on the back foot, something no other batsman has managed during the South Africa vs India series, especially from the visiting side.

In what was expected to be the biggest turnaround in Indian Cricket history with Virat Kohli & Co. looking out for their first ever Test series win in South Africa, the story remains the same. They just couldn’t repeat their home season-success on a foreign turf.

Despite a splendid bowling effort, Virat Kohli & Co. lost the first Test in Cape Town by 72 runs and went down by 135 runs in the second Test as the hosts took an unassailable lead with their four-man pace-attack.

That said, team India was just on the brink of a victory on a couple of occasions, but while the bowling attack has gove way more than the expectations, the same cannot be said about the batting lineup.

But could Ajinkya Rahane’s inclusion in the playing XI for the South Africa vs India Test series helped visitors? This is the question that everyone needs an answer to and it seems that Virat Kohli has finally made his mind to bring back the vice-captain in the arsenal.

The blushes of a whitewash is something the Indian skipper just can’t afford and in the India vs South Africa 3rd Test, he is expected to play his final card, for which, he shouldn’t have waited this long, in the first place.

Before the third test, Ajinkya Rahane was seen practicing in the nets with the Indian skipper and both were the last ones to leave from the training sessions. However, they were not the first ones to enter the nets. It was the trio of KL Rahul, M Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara who faced Indian seamers in the nets before Rahane and Kohli lifted their bats.

During the team’s practice session on Sunday, Ajinkya Rahane was padded and lined up along with skipper Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya. While it could be seen as the middle-order combination which India might go with for the third South Africa vs India Test as Rohit Sharma has failed to live up to the expectations.

Has team India made an important decision? If yes, shouldn’t Rahane be picked for the first two test?

Everything said and done, being in the nets three days prior to a match is never a sure indication of selection but if Virat Kohli wants to avoid a whitewash, this is a risk worth taking in the South Africa vs India 3rd Test which is scheduled to be played on January 24 at Johannesburg.

What are your views on the Ajinkya Rahane-card? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.