The former Indian cricketer and the current head coach, Rahul Dravid, pleasantly surprised fans moments before the Boxing Day Test against South Africa. Due to some wet patches on the field causing a delay, Dravid took to the Centurion pitch and showcased his medium-pace bowling skills.
Spectators were thrilled to witness the renowned ‘Wall’ delivering the ball just before the Test match commenced. Throughout his 16-year tenure with the Indian team, Dravid occasionally showcased his bowling prowess, predominantly as a right-arm off-spinner, managing to secure five wickets over his illustrious career.
Watch the post here:
— Nihari Korma (@NihariVsKorma) December 26, 2023
Rahul Dravid exclusively said Sanjay Bangar ” Well, he did most of the things that were asked of him from a player point of view – opened the batting, batted at 3,5,6, kept wicket. So this is something that I am surprised with. I have never seen Rahul Dravid do this. But it’s always good because as coaches you do things that you aren’t used to so to see. And there’s nothing wrong with his action; he seems pretty aligned and just has to add a little bit of piece. Otherwise, he looks pretty alright “
In the toss ceremony, South Africa’s captain, Temba Bavuma, chose to field first against India in the opening Test of a two-game series at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Tuesday. Excitingly, Prasidh Krishna was handed his Test cap by the prominent fast bowler, Jasprit Bumrah, marking his debut in the Boxing Day Test against South Africa.
However, there was a setback as star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja experienced upper back spasms on match day, rendering him unavailable for the inaugural Test. After a T20I series draw at 1-1 and clinching the ODI series with a 2-1 victory, the Indian team aspires to secure their maiden Test series triumph in South Africa. Furthermore, this series marks the return of seasoned players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Jasprit Bumrah to international cricket, following their defeat against Australia in the ICC Cricket World Cup finals.
Temba Bahumat exclusively at the toss said: “We’ll bowl first. Wicket has been under covers, we want to use the moisture and make early inroads. Our boys have all got into reasonably fit conditions, Lungi is the only one who’s not yet fully fit. Two debutants today – Nandre Burger and David Bedingham. We’re playing with four seamers for this one. It is always difficult to come up against India, but we are ready with our preparation.”
To which Rohit responded: “Wasn’t too sure. We are quite aware of the conditions, we have been here a few times. We need to put runs on the board and the bowlers will do the job for us. We do understand the challenge of batting first with the overhead conditions and the grass, but the guys are up for the challenge. Everytime we come here, we come with high hopes. We’ve come close in the last 2 tours. We are pretty confident with our squad and the make-up of our squad. We are playing with four seamers and a spinner. Ashwin is playing in place of Jadeja. Jaddu had a bit of a back spasm, so Ashwin comes in and he is a quality spinner to have. Prasidh is making his debut, along with the other pacers Shardul, Siraj and Bumrah”
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.
