South Africa v India Second Test Tips: More misery for struggling India

• South Africa a strong bet

• India batters struggling

• Thakur a 33/134.00 standout

• Rabada in for 8/19.00 match gong

South Africa v India
Wednesday 3 January, 08.30
TV: Live on Sky Sports

South Africa v India First Test team news

South Africa are sitting pretty with a 1-0 lead in the last game of the series after a dominant innings and 32-run success at Centurion.

Dean Elgar, with 185 in the first innings, took the match gong and he plays his final Test before retirement. Durham's David Bedingham looks like a sound replacement.

Temba Bavuma has been ruled out with the hamstring strain. He started the game at Centurion but couldn't complete. His spot could go to Zub Hamza or Tristan Stubbs. Gerald Coetzee's injury means Lungi Ngidi comes in.

Probable XI: Markram, Elgar, de Zorzi, Petersen, Bedingham, Hamza/Stubbs, Verreyenne, Jansen, Rabada, Ngidi, Burger

India have added Avesh Khan to the squad but Mukesh Kumar as an original member seems to be first in line. Prasidh Krishna looks vulnerable to losing his spot after a struggle at Centurion.

There were strong performances from Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj but the support with the ball wasn't there.

Familiar issues with India batters pushing hard and away from their body on the road continued as they were bowled out for 245 and 131. KL Rahul's century was their only bright spot.

Possible XI: Rohit, Jaiswal, Gill, Kohli, Shreyas, Rahul, Ashwin, Thakur, Bumrah, Mukesh, Siraj

South Africa v India Second Test pitch report

Newlands has produced some fair wickets down the years, as borne out by the list of first-innings runs in the last seven Tests. They read (most recent first): 223-269-177-311-286-392-629-329-494. In the last five Tests there have been only four match innings of more than 300.

These sides met in the last Test played at the venue. India were rolled for 223, managed a first-innings lead and then collapsed to 198 all out. South Africa chased 212 with seven wickets in hand.

Expecting more trouble, then, for India's batters make sense. Any par line at around a 320.5 mark is a strong short.

South Africa v India Second Test match odds

Bizarrely, India are marginal favourites to escape with a series draw. They are 2.285/4 with South Africa 2.305/4 and the draw 7.807/1.

It is fair to reckon that the odds are wrong. The market obviously expects a marked improvement from India but we're doubtful as whether they have been able to solve historic technical failings on these sort of pitches in a matter of days.

The South Africa pace battery looks extremely dangerous again with Kagiso Rabada leading the way. Ngidi, arguably, adds more pace and bounce.

KL Rahul gave us a nice winner in the first Test and he will prove popular for top India bat in the first-innings again at 9/25.50.

In truth we were hoping for more sugar on the likes of Ravi Jadeja and Ravi Ashhwin at 10/111.00 and 16/117.00 with Sportsbook. They are alive to the prospect of a 50 or 60 winning it. To that end Shardul Thakur may fit the bill at 33/134.00. Virat Kohli is 16/54.20 for top bat.

For South Africa there's little standout value on the top runscorer market but we do note that Rabada is 8/19.00 for man of the match after seven wickets in game one.