After a gap of two years, India are back in South Africa to conquer their final frontier, a Test series victory in South Africa. India lost the last Test series 2-1 under the captaincy of Virat Kohli and KL Rahul in 2021 and now they have returned with more hunger to win under Rohit Sharma. The first of the two-Test series starts from December 26, Boxing Day at Centurion. South Africa on the other hand are ready to secure important World Test Championship points using the home conditions where they have dominated against India in the past. Temba Bavuma will lead the Proteas in this series and despite injuries being a problem for them in the buildup, they have enough firepower in the batting and bowling to pose a threat for India. IND vs SA: Head Coach Rahul Dravid Says KL Rahul ‘Confident’ About Wicketkeeping Ahead of India vs South Africa 1st Test 2023.

India meanwhile has been in great form in Test cricket. Except for the loss in the WTC final against Australia, they have been a significant threat to all the nations facing them in the WTC cycle. The start of Rohit Sharma's Test captaincy has also been great with India recently defeating Australia at home and West Indies away. The limited over series in South Africa has been frequently interrupted by rain, Fans want to know whether it will rain during the IND vs SA 1st Test 2023 at Centurion.

Centurion Weather Forecast

Expected Weather at SuperSport Park during IND vs SA 1st Test 2023 (Accuweather.com)

Unfortunately there is a high chance of rain during the first two days of the IND vs SA 1st Test match at Centurion. The forecast gradually improves on Day 3 there is negligible chances of rain and it is expected to be a sunny day. But it against worsens in the last two days with 40% and 63% chances of rain on Day 4 and Day 5 respectively. It is expected that the first two days will see very little play and the Test match will be decided on what the rest of the three days has on offer. Hardik Pandya Likely To Lead Indian Team in T20I Series Against Afghanistan, Feature in IPL 2024: Report.

SuperSport Park Pitch Report

South African pitches tend to have spongy bounce and the pitch in Centurion is no different. There is also seam movement on offer for the hit the deck seamers and the cracks on the deck open up progressively. It will be a no brainer for captains to win the toss and bat first on this venue as chasing in 4th innings will be difficult.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 25, 2023 04:04 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).