Avesh Khan as the replacement for the injured Mohammed Shami in the upcoming second Test match against South Africa. India faced a setback in the two-match Test series against South Africa, losing the first match in Centurion by an innings and 32 runs on December 28. This defeat shattered India’s hopes of winning the Test series on South African soil and impacted their WTC (World Test Championship) rankings. Before the Centurion Test, India was leading the WTC 2023-25 cycle table, but the loss knocked them off the top spot. South Africa now leads the table with a perfect 100 PCT, while India has slipped to the 6th position with a PCT of 38.89.
Match summary
In the first innings of the cricket match between India and South Africa, India batted first, posting a total of 245 runs for the loss of all their wickets in 67.4 overs. KL Rahul played a significant innings, scoring 101 runs off 137 balls, while Virat Kohli contributed 38 runs in 64 balls. The South African bowlers, particularly Kagiso Rabada with figures of 5/59 in 20 overs and Nandre Burger with 3/50 in 15.4 overs played a crucial role in limiting India’s first innings total to 245.
South Africa responded strongly in their first innings, accumulating 408 runs for the loss of 9 wickets in 108.4 overs. Dean Elgar played a stellar innings, scoring 185 runs off 287 balls. Jasprit Bumrah was the standout bowler for India in the first innings, taking 4 wickets for 69 runs in 26.4 overs, while Mohammed Siraj contributed with 2 wickets for 91 runs in 24 overs. Marco Jansen remained unbeaten with a valuable 84 runs off 147 balls and was well on his way to achieving his first-ever test century, but then he didn’t have many teammates left to help him. In the end, he couldn’t finish because Temba Bavuma’s hamstring injury prevented him from providing the much-needed support.
In their second innings, India faced a challenging situation and managed to score 131 runs before getting all out in 34.1 overs. Virat Kohli led the Indian batting with a commendable 76 runs off 82 balls, but Nandre Burger proved to be the chief tormentor for the South African bowling attack, claiming 4 wickets for 33 runs in 10 overs. Shubman Gill contributed 26 runs off 37 balls, but Marco Jansen’s 3 wickets for 36 runs in 7.1 overs played a crucial role in restricting India’s second innings total.
Overall, the match witnessed impressive performances from individual players on both sides, creating an engaging and competitive cricketing contest.
Mohammed Shami’s Replacement: Avesh Khan
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has named Avesh Khan as the replacement for the injured Mohammed Shami in the upcoming second Test match against South Africa. Avesh, who represents Madhya Pradesh in domestic cricket, is currently participating in the India ‘A’ four-day match against South Africa ‘A’ at Willowmoore Park in Benoni. In this match, he showcased an impressive performance, taking 5 wickets for 54 runs in 23.3 overs, including five maidens, with an economy rate of 2.3.
With a notable track record in first-class cricket, Avesh Khan boasts 149 wickets in 38 first-class matches at an average of 22.65 and an economy rate of 3.12, featuring seven instances of taking five wickets in an innings. Avesh has also represented India in white-ball cricket, with appearances in 19 T20Is and eight ODIs.
In the opening One Day International (ODI) against South Africa in Johannesburg, Avesh demonstrated his skills by achieving career-best figures of 4-27. The second Test match is scheduled to take place on January 3 at Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town, South Africa. Mohammed Shami, initially included in the Test squad announced on November 30, has been ruled out due to an ongoing recovery from an ankle injury.
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