The Indian Test season gets underway at Vizag. Both teams go into the Test series with their own set of challenges. While South Africa has a new-look squad, India has made changes to address concerns plaguing the team, reports Vijayhardik. An exclusive for Different Truths.

The last time South Africa toured India, the pitches during the Test series were in scrutiny. With slow rank turners and dust bowls laid down for the visiting side, India utilized the home advantage to the extent that pitches were reported to the ICC. After the 3^rd Test at Nagpur which resulted in an Indian victory inside three days put the pitches prepared for the series in the dock.

In a tit-for-tat move, when India recently toured South Africa the pitches for the Test matches were spiced up. With extra pace, swing and bounce the pitches turned out to be a graveyard for the batsmen.

In a tit-for-tat move, when India recently toured South Africa the pitches for the Test matches were spiced up. With extra pace, swing and bounce the pitches turned out to be a graveyard for the batsmen. The third Test match in Johannesburg at the Wanderers saw the ball take off from a good length at 90 miles per hour and whiz past the ears of the batsmen. Phil Hughes, still being a recent memory raised the concerns of raised.

A year and a half later, both teams are again locking horns against each other. Dawn tomorrow opens up a new chapter of the India-South Africa rivalry in the longest format. On the Eastern shore of the Indian coastline in the city of Visakhapatnam an old rivalry will renew itself with renewed vigor. Both teams have challenges of their own to overcome to gain ascendency in the series.

South Africa undergoing a churn on and off the field are missing the stalwarts of the previous tours who made the team a formidable force.

South Africa undergoing a churn on and off the field are missing the stalwarts of the previous tours who made the team a formidable force. The absence of the likes of Hashim Amla, Dale Steyn and AB de Villiers who have experience playing in the sub-continent have retired from the game. They come in with their reputations and formidable enough to change the course of a game on their own on any given day.

The current team under the stewardship of Faf du Plessis apart from Kagiso Rabada and Dean Elgar has many first timers who are playing in the Indian conditions. Even before the first ball has been delivered the series is advertised on the lines of the pride of the Indian cricket team at stake while the Proteas have nothing to lose and all to gain.

While that deals with the concerns of the players, South Africa is travelling without a coach. The turmoil within the administration of their cricket board has deprived them of proper resources required, while on a tough tour of India.

While that deals with the concerns of the players, South Africa is travelling without a coach. The turmoil within the administration of their cricket board has deprived them of proper resources required, while on a tough tour of India. All eyes would be on the South African performance starting tomorrow.

India though situated on a better footing than the Proteas, has its own share of problems to contend with. The last few years have not seen a settled Indian opening pair at the top of the order. The chopping and changing at the top of the order has sometimes been forced by injury and the other times it has been a management decision. A long roster of players has filled in that position in the last few years.

Murali Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan, Parthiv Patel, KL Rahul, Prithvi Shaw, Abhinav Mukund and the latest entrant on the list is Mayank Agarwal. While these players were playing musical chairs with the opening spot Cheteshwar Pujara was also filled in the spot

Murali Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan, Parthiv Patel, KL Rahul, Prithvi Shaw, Abhinav Mukund and the latest entrant on the list is Mayank Agarwal. While these players were playing musical chairs with the opening spot Cheteshwar Pujara was also filled in the spot for a game here and game there as a stop gap measure in the role of an opener.

Rohit Sharma has been proposed as the fix to the conundrum of opening. His name was floating around within the Indian team management for a while now. But it is only recently that they are ringing in the change. But will it solve India’s dilemma at the top will be watched.

But even before the series got underway India received a setback. Fast bowling spearhead and stalwart Jasprit Bumrah was ruled out of the series due to stress fracture.

But even before the series got underway India received a setback. Fast bowling spearhead and stalwart Jasprit Bumrah was ruled out of the series due to stress fracture. In the earlier years, such news would have sent the nation and squad without the resources of the strike bowler. The lack of such hysteria in the media is a testament to the progress made by the Indian cricket and the depth of talent that is being groomed by the BCCI.

Citing an example India went to England in 2011 as the number 1 ranked Test team. But things derailed from the first morning of the first test. The then bowling mainstay Zaheer Khan pulled out of the Test match with a hamstring injury. From then on, the tour went downhill with littered with injuries and painful losses.

Umesh Yadav was added to the squad as Bumrah’s replacement. Even in his absence, the fast bowling department is in the capable hands of Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami.

However, that is not the situation anymore. Umesh Yadav was added to the squad as Bumrah’s replacement. Even in his absence, the fast bowling department is in the capable hands of Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami.

While these are changes which have been forced upon the team management to address the concerns ailing Team India, the team has also brought in a few changes following their new ‘horses for courses’ policy.

After a sabbatical of almost a year Ravichandran Ashwin will be donning the Indian jersey. The start of the home season not only brought Ashwin back into the team, he is reunited with his spin twin Ravindra Jadeja.

After a sabbatical of almost a year Ravichandran Ashwin will be donning the Indian jersey. The start of the home season not only brought Ashwin back into the team, he is reunited with his spin twin Ravindra Jadeja. Their performances at home are superlative and the statistics speak for themselves.

But the most surprising development ahead of the Test match was the exclusion of Rishabh Pant from the playing 11 and bringing back the experienced Wriddhiman Saha. Before injury forced him out of the Indian setup, he had made the spot of the wicket-keeper batsmen his own. Though questions were raised about his overseas performances, his contributions at home in testing situations made him the front-runner after Dhoni decided to hang his boots in Test cricket.

Both teams with respective changes have signaled their intent before the series has begun.

The dice has been cast and the stage is set. As the sun rays say good morning to the coastal city of Vizag, the teams will be raring to go and put on a show.

The dice has been cast and the stage is set. As the sun rays say good morning to the coastal city of Vizag, the teams will be raring to go and put on a show. With the series being a part of the World Test Championship, it makes the setting even more interesting.

With 120 points up grabs and positions changing with every match, this makes for a riveting contest.

Photos sourced by the author from the Internet