Can Team India rise at the Wanderers?

The last match of the Test series between the top two Test teams will neither change the winner of the series nor the Test rankings. However, it can change the tempo of the remaining matches in the tour. Both the teams will face off in the 3rd Test match with the aim of restoring their pride.

South Africa would be aiming for a series whitewash. It will help them wash off the wounds that were inflicted by India when they had visited the Indian subcontinent in 2015-16. India had beaten them 3-0 in the four-match Test series by casting a spin web. The scoreline could have been 4-0, if not for the wet weather in Bangalore which resulted in a washout. The South Africans had no answer to counter India's game plan in that series. They struggled with the bat and could manage more than 200 runs only once in the entire series. In the fourth Test, the South Africans tried to block everything that was thrown at them but were still unable to salvage a draw. The Indians played to their strength in that series and the South Africans are now giving them a taste of their own medicine with their world-class pace attack.

Reputation at stake

South Africa lost the Freedom Series in 2015/16 comprehensively but displayed solid resistance in the last match. The Indians eventually won the match, but they had to toil hard to get their wickets. The Indian batsmen should inculcate such grit into their game irrespective of the result of the third Test at Wanderers. It's a sense of deja vu, going into the last Test match. The scoreline is 2-0, only this time the Indian team are on the receiving end of a potential whitewash.

Kohli is under immense pressure because this is his first series defeat as a captain. His team selection has been questioned by one and all and, hopefully, the pressure does not adversely affect his batting because he is the mainstay of the Indian batting lineup. Kohli loves to answer his critics both on and off the field. Aggression is his strength and it won't be a surprise if he raises his game in the third Test.

Positive from last meeting at Wanderers

The pitch in Johannesburg looks like a typical South African one that would assist the fast bowlers. It is good news for the Indian bowling attack but not so good for the faltering Indian batsmen.

The last time these two teams played each other at the Wanderers was way back in 2013. The match featured five days of a riveting contest between India and South Africa, but neither side could come out as a winner. All four centurions from that match - Kohli, Pujara, de Villiers and du Plessis will feature this time around as well.

Kohli will want to improve on his Man of the Match performance from the 2013 Test and score centuries in both the innings. Pujara would also be hoping to play a knock similar to the one that he had played in his last match at the Wanderers and end his poor form in style. Moreover, all the Indian batsmen should draw inspiration from that match and play with a positive frame of mind.

Selection woes for Team India, or out of the box thinking?

Kohli and the team management would be under immense stress to finalize the playing XI. The top four scorers for India are Kohli, Pandya, Ashwin and Rohit. Pandya and Ashwin hold the all-rounder positions. Rohit has started to settle down and has shown signs of adjusting to the demands of playing in South Africa. He has the ability to change the course of the game in one session. Therefore, the team should persist with him. This makes it difficult for the management to play Rahane in place of Rohit. So, it would be better to fit both Rohit and Rahane in the playing XI and make changes in the opening slots.

Vijay is more experienced and has scored more runs than KL Rahul. Hence, it would be wise to drop the latter and make Rahane open the innings. Otherwise, the team can ask Pujara to open with Vijay and play the anchor's role. The team also have to choose between Parthiv and Karthik for the keeper slot. In the bowling department, Kohli should select Bhuvneshwar Kumar ahead of Jasprit Bumrah and keep the rest of the unit unchanged.

Defining match for Kohli and his men

Kohli will need to lead from the front

More than the result of the match at the Wanderers, the manner in which the Indian batsmen play would define the character of Kohli's team. Recent performances of the Indian team across different formats suggest that Kohli's team possess the never-say-die attitude. The members not only have faith in themselves but also believe in each other's abilities.

The real character of a team is displayed through their ability to bounce back. The situation is perfect for Kohli and his men to show their ability to turn things around and prove to their critics that they are serious about shedding the tag of poor travelers.

The time is apt for India to play like the best team in the world.