India are back in South Africa eyeing a Test series victory. After they have won in Australia, South Africa still remains the only country where they are yet to win a Test series. There was opportunities on offer in both 2018 and 2021 but the Proteas edged past in both while the target for India stayed away. Rohit Sharma will lead India in a South Africa tour for the first time after he was appointed the Test captain and he will have a challenge to face in foreign conditions. Like every foreign tour, India has to settle with their bowling combination early. Amidst this, India's selection headaches are going to be further complicated as according to reports, Mohammed Shami is likely to miss the Test series with an injury.  Comedy Of Errors! Sarfaraz Ahmed Misses David Warner's Stumping, Babar Azam Concedes Bye With Missed Throw During AUS vs PAK 1st Test 2023 Day 1 (Watch Video).

With Shardul Thakur in the mix as an all-rounder, India is most likely to go with three fast bowlers and Shardul Thakur, Ravindra Jadeja as all-rounders. Prasidh Krishna took a five-wicket haul in the India A match against South Africa A, putting forward his candidacy. With Shami available, India might have had a very potent combination to put South Africa under pressure. As reported by Cricbuzz, the Indian pacer is nursing an ankle injury, and he will not be traveling to South Africa with the rest of the players picked for the Tests.

The last batch of players, including skipper Rohit Sharma, is scheduled to leave for Johannesburg on Friday, December 15, but the 33-year-old veteran pacer will not be among them. Apart from the skipper, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, R Ashwin, Navdeep Saini, and Harshit Rana will be flying out to South Africa on Friday via Dubai. The selectors have not named a replacement for Shami yet.  David Warner's 'Silence' Celebration Video Goes Viral As he Answers Critics With a Century in First Test Against Pakistan at Perth.

Shami was a conditional pick for the Test series, and at the time of selecting the squads for the South Africa series on November 30, the BCCI had made it clear that Shami was undergoing treatment. The pacer had been suffering from ankle pain, and it is learned that he had carried the World Cup workload despite the pain, particularly experiencing discomfort while landing on his right foot at the delivery point. The first of the two Tests starts on Boxing Day, December 26, at Centurion.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 14, 2023 04:52 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).