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South Africa vs India predictions
- Dean Elgar to score 50 runs or more first innings – 6/4 Betway
- Kagiso Rabada to take over 4.5 wickets in the match – 4/6 bet365
- India opening partnership first innings under 28.5 runs – 4/5 Unibet
South Africa will aim to wrap up a series win over India in the second Test at Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town starting on Wednesday (8am, Sky Sports Cricket).
The Proteas hammered the tourists in the first Test by an innings and 32 runs. Kagiso Rabada put on a clinic with the ball in India's first innings, tearing through the ranks with figures of five for 59.
Lokesh Rahul resisted with a century, but India’s total of 245 looked below par. Dean Elgar anchored the South Africa response supported by debutant David Bedingham and Marco Jansen.
Elgar produced a sublime knock of 185 to hand the hosts a healthy 163-run lead to take into the second innings.
Another Proteas debutant Nandre Burger then took centre stage with the ball with four wickets to skittle India for just 131, allowing South Africa to cruise to a dominant win.
The hosts can secure the series in Cape Town and continue their impressive start to the World Test Championship 2023-25 campaign.
South Africa are narrow favourites with cricket betting sites to win at Newlands at odds of 5/4.
That does not mean that bookies are down on India’s chances with odds of 6/4 available for them to prevail and tie the series. Here are our predictions for the final Test of the series.
Elgar to bow out on high note
Elgar proved what a quality player he is with a match-winning effort at Centurion.
The 36-year-old scored his 14th Test century and fell agonisingly short of his career-best of 199. Elgar will retire from the longest form of the game at the end of the series, so he has one final chance to break the 200-run mark.
Elgar is a throwback player and has earned plaudits for his solid technique rather than swashbuckling approach at the crease.
His determined performance was the difference between the two sides at Centurion, blunting the India attack after a bright start.
Elgar has the chance to bow out on the highest of notes by steering South Africa to a second series win in a row over India. He has an extremely good record against India, averaging 43.30 with two centuries and four fifties.
Elgar’s resilience has been a trademark of his career and we’re backing him to show that grit one more time by scoring at least 50 runs or more in the South Africa first innings at odds of 6/4 with Betway.
South Africa vs India Tip 1: Dean Elgar to score 50 runs or more first innings – 6/4 Betway
Rabada to deliver another strong outing
Rabada had an underwhelming Cricket World Cup by his high standards, but he proved a point on his return to the Test match arena.
The 28-year-old was mesmeric with ball in hand to dismantle one of the best batting line-ups in the game. No one in the India ranks had an answer for his pace and movement off the seam.
Rabada removed the two big players in the form of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, putting pressure on the less established batters to score the important first-innings runs for the visitors.
In the second innings, he was on point from the off, having Yashasvi Jaiswal dropped first ball before he skittled Sharma again.
In home conditions, there are few better bowlers in the world.
Rabada has taken 180 wickets at an average of 19.10 in South Africa. He loves playing India too, taking 51 wickets in 13 matches at an average of 22.98, notably below his career mark.
Rabada took seven wickets in his last outing against India at Newlands in 2022, and we’re predicting he’ll take at least five scalps in the game at 4/6 with bet365.
South Africa vs India Tip 2: Kagiso Rabada to take over 4.5 wickets in the match – 4/6 bet365
Further struggles for Sharma and Jaiswal?
Sharma and Jaiswal were tormented by the South Africa bowling attack at Centurion. The opening stand mustered just 13 in the first innings and five in the second.
Sharma has had a particularly tough time against Rabada, who has dismissed the India skipper seven times in just 11 innings.
Only Nathan Lyon has removed Sharma on more occasions in Test matches. Jaiswal made a bright start to his Test career against the West Indies, scoring a century on debut.
But, the quality of the South Africa is at another level. There’s no respite from Rabada, Burger and Jansen, with Lungi Ngidi waiting in the wings just behind them and expected to replace injured Gerald Coetzee in the line-up.
We’re not expecting Sharma and Jaiswal to improve in Newlands, and we’re backing the India opening standing to post under 28.5 runs at 4/5 with Unibet.
South Africa vs India Tip 3: India opening partnership first innings under 28.5 runs – 4/5 Unibet
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Last Updated: 14th March 2024, 07:22 AM
