India tour of South Africa 2013-14 Vs 2017-2018 - 5 things that have changed

Cricket fans from India and South Africa are waiting to see the top two Test teams battle it out for the ultimate glory. The sojourn, starting on December 30, 2017, consists of a two-day warm-up match, three Tests, six ODIs and three T20Is. The 17-member squad for the upcoming tour was recently announced by the BCCI.

The last time India toured South Africa was in December 2013. India played three ODIs and two Tests but was unable to register a single win on the entire tour. The squad back then and the squad now has many players in common - the top order batsmen, the two key spinners R Ashwin and Jadeja and two pacers Mohammed Shami and Ishant Sharma.

Team India has been at the zenith of its game in all three formats. Recently, India registered its ninth consecutive Test series win and thus it seems to be an opportune time to beat South Africa on its home soil. Although the team in 2013 series and the team now is almost the same, a lot has changed over the span of four years.

Let us look what has changed :

#1 Increase in overall experience

When India toured South Africa in 2013, it was an inexperienced, vulnerable but a very determined side. After four years of grooming and international exposure, today, India is a top-ranked Test side with its batsmen and bowlers consistently featuring in the ICC top 10 rankings (for Tests). Have a look at the comparison of the experience of key players - now and in 2013 :

The overall experience of the team has increased considerably

The above stats suggest that a group of relatively novice and resolute cricketers has now become a force to reckon with. The anxiety has vanished and confidence levels are at a high.

#2 New captain of the ship - Virat Kohli

In 2013 MS Dhoni was the captain. During the series, as always, he was calm personified - MS Dhoni made sure that the team's morale remained high amid South Africa's dominance.

As a result of this, India was able to put up a gritty show against South Africa. The captain's hat is now worn by Virat Kohli. The quintessence of aggression and passion, Virat Kohli leads the side by example. Under Kohli, India is now a fierce side which has wrecked many teams in recent past.

MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli both have an aggressive wicket-taking mindset, but the way in which both try to squeeze out wickets is a little contrasting. While Dhoni as a captain utilised spinners more, Kohli, on the other hand, is more inclined toward attacking with fast bowlers.

Given the pacer-friendly wickets, Kohli's tactics might work well in South Africa.

#3 Inclusion of a fast bowling all-rounder - Hardik Pandya

In 2013, India did not include any all-rounders in the side as there were not many potential all-rounders around that time in India's rather large pool of skilful individuals. Fast bowling all-rounders are an asset on green decks favourable for pace bowling. They help in maintaining the balance of the side which may look like this: six batsmen, one spinner, three pacers and one all-rounder.

Chipping in with important wickets and a significant contribution with the bat is what Hardik Pandya is capable of. In his 3 Test matches till date, Pandya has scored a century, a half-century and has picked up 4 wickets as well. His fielding is the cherry on top.

Pandya reminds many of Jacques Kallis - the South African all-rounder who was instrumental in the team's success over the years.

#4 Shikhar Dhawan's form

The southpaw has been in scintillating form in the past few months. He has scored 550 runs in last 5 Test matches including two centuries and two half-centuries. In India's tour of South Africa 2013, Shikhar's lack of experience in facing the moving ball on bouncy tracks was heavily exploited by the South African pacers. He just managed to accumulate 76 runs in 2 Tests.

His current form bodes well, and Indian fans would be hoping that sees through the new ball with relative ease this time around.

#5 Ajinkya Rahane's form

Ajinkya Rahane' form has been a matter of concern for India. Once a prolific run-getter and termed Mr. Dependable, the vice-captain of India for Tests is going through a very poor run of form. The last time he scored a Test century was in October 2016 against New Zealand.

His average in 2017 has plummeted to 36.26. Rahane just managed to score 30 runs in his last 6 innings at an average of 5.

Although the Mumbai-based cricketer is going through a rough patch, the team management and the captain both have shown faith in him by including him in the squad for the South Africa tour. This has a lot to do with Rahane's overseas record. He has scored 1817 runs in 24 matches at an average of 53.44 overseas. Rahane was in sublime touch in the 2013 tour of South Africa, piling up 209 runs in just 2 Tests.