IND vs SA: Indian cricket team’s practice session at Centurion ahead of Boxing Day Test called off due to rain | Cricket News

The Indian cricket team had to cancel its practice session on Monday, one day before they take on South Africa at the Centurion in the first Test of the two-match series, because of heavy rain in the South African city.
This comes just days after the curator for the wicket at Supersport Park, Brain Bloy, saying that there was heavy chance of rain on the first two days of the Boxing Day Test. “I don’t know what conditions will be like, whether we will get play on Day 1,” he had said before predicting cold conditions for the Test.
“You are seeing a forecast on Day 1 and Day 2. It doesn’t look very good. The sun is out for four days and, so there will be some purchases for spinners, offer turn and bounce; with the weather forecast, I don’t know how accurate it will be as there will be a lot of rain,” Bloy had told PTI on Saturday.
India are missing a few players for the Tests, with Ruturaj Gaikwad injuring himself on the finger, Mohammad Shami being ruled out due to injury and Ishan Kishan requesting to be left out due to the constant travel and ‘mental fatigue’.

Test Match Mode #TeamIndia batters are geared up for the Boxing Day Test #SAvIND pic.twitter.com/Mvkvet6Ed9
— BCCI (@BCCI) December 25, 2023
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India will be mulling who will replace Shami, who is sidelined due to an ankle injury, in the XI for the first Test: Mukesh Kumar or Prasidh Krishna.
On Sunday, Virat Kohli returned to South Africa after a short break that he had taken for ‘personal reasons’. He was seen taking part an intense training session on Sunday, and punishing the bowlers in the nets. Kohli and India skipper Rohit Sharma had skipped both the T201 and ODI series against South Africa.

Preps in full swing for the Boxing Day Test #TeamIndia sharpen their fielding skills ahead of the first #SAvIND Test tomorrow in Centurion pic.twitter.com/SftEN2kDED
— BCCI (@BCCI) December 25, 2023
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India have never won a Test series in South Africa, a record they will hope to change this time around.
Of their last five Test tours to South Africa, spanning 16 years, India have won a Test on four of them but a series hurrah has eluded them.
“It is the bounce (that makes South Africa challenging for Indian batters),” former Proteas captain Faf du Plessis had told The Indian Express. “There is almost one full hand of extra bounce here, compared to what they usually face in India. They are used to hitting the ball on the up there, but with the bounce on offer and lateral movement, there is additional risk at play if you haven’t done it before and are not used to the lift. The key to doing well in South Africa is to leave well and be there for a long period.”