India vs South Africa 2019: 5 players who have a point to prove in the Test series

Post a 1-1 series draw against South Africa's in the T20 series, the focus will now be on the longest format of the game as India will play South Africa in a three-match Test series, beginning with the first game on 2 October, 2019 at Visakhapatnam.

This will be South Africa's first series as part of the ICC Test Championship while India have already made a positive start to their campaign with a convincing 2-0 series win over West Indies.

Given that India will be beginning their home season with this Test series, the Faf du Plessis-led South African side will need to be at their absolute best in order to give the home side a stiff challenge.

On that note, here are five players who would look to prove a point this season.

#5 Faf du Plessis

To give a positive start for South Africa in the ICC Test Championship

Faf du Plessis lost his limited-overs captaincy but he will continue as the captain in Test matches

Faf du Plessis went through the worst patch in terms of captaincy in the 2019 World Cup. Despite being a formidable side on paper, the Proteas were not able to qualify for the knockouts and bowed down in the group stages. It was one of the worst World Cups for them as they won only 3 out of 9 matches.

The South African management handed the limited-overs captaincy to Quinton de Kock. Also, du Plessis did not find a spot in the T20I squad against team India. This might even mean that the experienced batsman is not a top priority for the upcoming T20I World Cup.

However, the 35-year-old would leave the past behind and focus on the new season. It would be a positive start for the team in the ICC Test Championship to win a series against India. With his bat and leadership, du Plessis would be keen to contribute significantly.

#4 Wriddhiman Saha

To strengthen his place in the Test squad as a first choice wicketkeeper

Wriddhiman Saha

Wriddhiman Saha will keep the stumps in the first Test against South Africa. The 34-year-old last played a Test match for India during their South Africa tour in January 2018 after which a shoulder injury kept him out of action.

During Saha’s absence, the management entrusted Rishabh Pant with Test cricket opportunities and wanted to groom him for the future. Initially, the young keeper showed much potential in England and Australia by scoring centuries. However, as time went on, the southpaw struggled with the bat and failed to accumulate runs consistently.

Since the 21-year-old is in the initial phase of his cricketing career, he has plenty of time to adapt to Test cricket. Th veteran Saha, however, might have only a few more years left in him.

Therefore, the seasoned wicket-keeper is in an immediate need of making a strong statement with his bat and behind the stumps to strengthen his position and play throughout the ICC Test Championship.

#3 Umesh Yadav

To capitalise on Jasprit Bumrah's absence

Umesh Yadav

Jasprit Bumrah's stress fracture helped Umesh Yadav to be picked for the three match series.

It has been a while that Yadav hasn't been part of the Test squad, having last played a Test match against Australia in 2018 at Perth.

In that match, he failed to take a single wicket which might be one of the reasons for him getting ignored for a while. However, there is now an ideal chance for the 30-year-old to earn the management's trust.

#2 Rohit Sharma

To find form and reinvent himself as a capable Test opener

Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma is an unstoppable force in limited-overs cricket, but he has failed so far to make his mark in the longest format. The Mumbai batsman averages just 39.6 in Tests.

With KL Rahul being dropped for the series and Prithivi Shaw serving a ban till November for his doping violation, this would be a golden opportunity for Sharma to establish himself as a red ball opener.

Ravi Shastri was of the opinion that the right-hander would excel as an opener in Test cricket because of his x-factor. Since becoming an ODI opener, Sharma has been an absolute run-machine scoring over 6000 runs.

The 32-year-old finished World Cup 2019 as the leading run-scorer with 648 runs in 9 innings.

#1 Virat Kohli

To reclaim the #1 spot in Test cricket

Virat Kohli

Steve Smith made a roaring comeback to Test cricket in the 2019 Ashes by scoring 774 runs in 7 matches at an average of 110.57. As a result, the Australian batsman overtook Virat Kohli in the ICC Test Batsmen Rankings.

The right-hander failed to score even a single Test century in the Caribbean tour and got just 136 runs from 4 matches at an average of 34.00.

Therefore, in the Test series against the Proteas, Virat would look to be at the top of his game. Judging by the batsman’s exceptional skills, we can believe that he will be ahead of Smith once the series is complete.