Ranchi: With the Test series already in the bag, Virat Kohli-led Indian cricket team will aim for a clean sweep against South Africa as the two sides lock horns in the third and final Test match, here at the JSCA International Stadium Complex on Saturday. India had won the first Test comprehensively at Visakhapatnam by 203 runs while they thrashed the Proteas by an innings and 137-run in the second test at Pune. As the results show, hosts India have dominated the visitors in all departments. Rohit Sharma got twin hundreds in the first Test while Mayank Agarwal has got a double century and a hundred to his name.
Captain Virat Kohli also came to the party at Pune with a majestic double hundred. However, India would want Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane to covert their fifties into centuries. In the bowling department, the likes of Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja ,Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav have performed well. Meanwhile, it will be interesting to see whether Kuldeep Yadav, who sat out of the first two Tests, will get an place in the playing XI or not, considering Ranchi''s spin-friendly pitch. On the other hand, South Africa will try to avoid a whitewash. Skipper Faf du Plessis, who has got a couple of fifties, will look to score big in this match.
Dean Elgar and Quinton de Kock will want to repeat their Visakhapatnam heroics. The Proteas would also expect an inspirational performance by their pacer Kagiso Rabada. However, unavailability of Aiden Markram and Keshav Maharaj due to injuries has increased South Africa''s woes and caused a serious dent in their squad selection for the final Test in Ranchi. The series may have already been decided but the third Test cannot be called a dead rubber as 40 points are up for grabs in World Test Championship.
India, having won the first two matches, are sitting on top of the World Test Championship points table with 200 points. South Africa, on the other hand, are yet to get off the mark.
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