“Going To Challenge”: Wasim Jaffer Names South Africa Bowler Who Can Trouble Indian Batters

India and South Africa will face-off in the three-match Test series starting December 26 at the SuperSport Park in Centurion. Team India reached South Africa last week and have been sweating it out in practice sessions to end their drought of a Test series win there.  Former India cricketer Wasim Jaffer who was the part of Indian team in their 2006 tour to South Africa has said that pacer Kagiso Rabada will challenge Indian batters in the upcoming Test series.

“South Africa has a decent fast bowling attack, there is no doubt (on Tuesday, CSA said that fast bowler Anrich Nortje has been ruled out of the series because of a recurring hit-related injury). Rabada is one of the best. He is going to challenge the Indian batters. They have sufficient quality. Their pace bowling will definitely challenge India. But their batting is not the same like it was before. Nonetheless, it will be a challenging tour for India,” Jaffer told News18.com.

The 43-year-old who scored a Test ton in South Africa in 2006 has also said that the Indian bowlers will keep the team in the game but a lot will depend on how Indian batters will go against “quality” South African bowling.

“India’s bowlers will keep their team in the game. The Indian fast bowling is very experienced now. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Shami have a lot of experience. India has an all-round attack. I have been saying that if India scores 400 plus, it is more likely that it will win matches. Our bowling attack is first class. The challenge is for the batters to put scores on the board. That’s been the problem,” he added.

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Jaffer wants Indian batters to bat around skipper Virat Kohli.

“In 2018, Virat was the only one who got the runs. The other batters need to step up. Now, India’s batting is more balanced in the top six. Rishabh (Pant) can change the game if he bats for one or one and a half hours. There are good players in the team; they have to contribute around Virat,” he concluded.