3 things South Africa need to do to beat India in 2nd Test

The second of the two-match Test series between India and South Africa will get underway at Newlands in Cape Town on Wednesday. The hosts currently hold an unassailable 1-0 lead.

South Africa ensured to keep their unbeaten Test series record at home against India intact with a resounding innings and 32 runs victory in the opening game. Yet, they will be fully aware of the importance of the second Test with crucial World Test Championship (WTC) points at stake.

The Proteas will also not want India to secure a second drawn series at their den and would want to make it eight out of nine home Test series won. They also have the extra motivation of ensuring veteran batter and stand-in skipper Dean Elgar bows out to sunset on a high.

However, the wounded Indian side have several match-winners in their arsenal to level the series, and the hosts must guard against any semblance of complacency.

On that note, let us look at three things South Africa needs to do to upstage India in the second and final Test.

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#1 "Cut off the head and the body will follow" - Dismiss Rohit Sharma early

Rohit Sharma's dismal run in South Africa continued in the first Test at Centurion.

While one batter doesn't dictate the outcome in Test cricket, South Africa will be aware of the significance of dismissing Indian skipper Rohit Sharma cheaply.

Not only is Rohit just the captain, but also India's opener and arguably their most impactful batter. A staggering statistic reveals a marked difference between his numbers in Indian wins and defeats in his red-ball career.

In 29 Test wins, Rohit averages a stellar 63.77 with 10 centuries, while the average drops to an abysmal 20.32 with no tons in 14 defeats. The Proteas will take solace from the fact that the 36-year-old has a poor record in Tests in South Africa.

Rohit averages a shocking 12.80 in five Tests at the Rainbow Nation, with a highest score of only 47.

Ace pacer Kagiso Rabada got the better of the veteran batter in both innings in Centurion, and the battle between the duo could go a long way in swaying the pendulum one way or the other.

It is also worth remembering India has two first-timers to South Africa, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill, batting on either side of Rohit, making the wicket of the Indian skipper all the more valuable.

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#2 See off Jasprit Bumrah and capitalize on the inexperience of other pacers

Bumrah was the lone shining light with the ball in India's crushing defeat at Centurion.

With the absence of in-form pacer Mohammed Shami, South Africa will be aware that the onus is on Jasprit Bumrah to carry the Indian pace attack.

Despite finishing as India's best bowler in the opening Test with figures of 4/69, the Proteas batters did a commendable job of not giving him too many wickets in his initial spells.

The hosts have an inexperienced middle-order that weakened further with the absence of regular skipper Temba Bavuma for the second Test. It makes it all the more important that the experienced opening pair of Dean Elgar and Aiden Markram see off Bumrah's opening burst without any damage.

Furthermore, India's pace attack minus Bumrah is short of experience and form, with Mohammed Siraj and Shardul Thakur playing in only their second tour to South Africa. Meanwhile, Prasidh Krishna and Mukesh Kumar are on their maiden tour to the African nation.

Finding the ideal line and length could take longer for the bowlers other than Bumrah on a Cape Town wicket, where the first 30 overs are usually the most seam-bowling friendly.

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#3 Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen must operate in tandem against Virat Kohli early in his innings

Virat Kohli stood out among the Indian batters in the first Test.

Virat Kohli has been one Indian batter of this generation who has mastered the South African conditions against the red ball.

While even his heroics haven't resulted in many wins for India, it is one of the reasons why the side has been more competitive in their last three tours to the Rainbow Nation.

The 35-year-old was India's best overall batter in the opening Test with scores of 38 and 76. Kohli's presence is even more vital considering a long tail with the spin-bowling all-rounder batting at No.7 and potentially even Bumrah at No.8 should the team management replace Thakur with Mukesh Kumar.

Hence, negating the threat of King Kohli, who averages a stellar 52.06 in eight Tests in South Africa, must be on top of the bucket list for the hosts.

Though not as straightforward, the champion batter has shown some vulnerability early in his innings against the moving ball throughout his career. It makes being on the money when Kohli enters the crease paramount, and the Proteas should consider bowling Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen in tandem.

Although Kohli averages 57 against Rabada in Tests, the pacer has dismissed the star batter on four occasions, including the first innings of the Centurion Test. The former Indian skipper also has the propensity to struggle at times against tall left-arm pacers, and South Africa could exploit that chink by bowling Jansen at the other end.

Jansen has gotten the better of the superstar batter twice in Tests already in his young career, and the sudden fuller delivery from his height could cause Kohli some issues early in his stint.