New Delhi: The “Bleed Blue” fever is all set to take the center stage in the cricket-loving nation with Team India clashing with the Proteas on Thursday at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
India has rested its star players which include Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Jasprit Bumrah for the upcoming series against England later this month. The reins of the young side are in the hands of KL Rahul for this series.
Hardik Pandya joined the squad on Wednesday as he was missing from the practice session on Tuesday. Rahul Dravid in a press conference after the practice session indicated that the team is fit and ready to take on the South African side, the much-anticipated addition of the Indian side Umran Malik might have to wait for some more time before he gets a chance to make a debut.
While India has rested its valuable players for this series, The South African side has toured India with its best possible squad. The side will be looking to test its options with star performers like Quinton de Kock, David Miller, and Marco Jansen.
The Indian side has been on the constant lookout for a dependable left-arm pacer option since the departure of Zaheer Khan from the international side. With the addition and current form of Arshdeep Singh in the IPL, anticipations are high for him to fill in the shoes and appear as a dependable option for the new Indian side.
This series will be a test for both sides while they try and come up with the best-suited playing eleven in the upcoming matches. For India, a new opener will pair with skipper KL Rahul in the match will determine the course of the next few matches in the series.