India vs South Africa 1st Test: Toss result and playing 11s, umpires and pitch report

India and South Africa kick off their three-match Test series with the Boxing Day Test at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Sunday. This will be India's first outing since the Virat Kohli-Sourav Ganguly controversy over the former's axing as ODI captain.

Kohli will need to put the incident behind him and focus on the job at hand.

India’s middle-order has been a cause for concern for a while, and will need to stand up to the challenge if the team is to make an impact.

Touted favorites India are eyeing their first Test series win on South African soil.

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IND vs SA - 1st Test playing 11s

INDIA: KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Shardul Thakur, Md Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Md Siraj

SA: Dean Elgar (c), Aiden Markram, Keegan Petersen, Rassie van der Dussen, Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock (wk), Wiaan Mulder, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi

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IND vs SA - 1st Test opening batters list

KL Rahul returns after missing out on the home Tests against New Zealand due to injury. In Rohit Sharma’s absence, Mayank Agarwal, who scored a hundred and a fifty in the Mumbai Test against the Kiwis, will be Rahul’s opening partner.

For South Africa, skipper Dean Elgar and Aiden Markram will start proceedings with the bat.

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IND vs SA - 1st Test umpires

On-field umpires: Adrian Holdstock, Marais Erasmus

TV umpire: Allahudien Paleker

Match Referee: Andy Pycroft

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IND vs SA - 1st Test pitch report

According to Morne Morkel, there is a little bit of grass on the surface in Centurion. However, he feels that it is going to be a good Test wicket. Due to showers earlier this week, there could be a fair amount of moisture on the pitch.

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India vs South Africa - Toss result for 1st Test

India captain Virat Kohli won the toss and opted to bat first. The visitors go in with three pacers, a lone specialist spinner in R Ashwin and an all-rounder in Shardul Thakur.

Speaking after the toss, Kohli said:

“We will bat first because runs on the board playing away from home has been our strength. The pitch here tends to quicken up on days 2-3. Our success away from home started from the series we played here last time.”

The Proteas are handing a Test debut to pacer Marco Jansen.