Ind vs SA: India openers- Can KL Rahul & Mayank Agarwal change history? After India’s victories in Australia and England in their backyard, South Africa remains the final frontier for Virat Kohli & Co to conquer. The Indian batting elevated to its bowling standards in both Australia and England. But the batting department in South Africa continues to elude them. Follow India Tour of South Africa updates on InsideSport.IN
The pace and bounce have frustrated India in the past and India’s longe for maiden Test series win in the Africa nation show the opening pairs had a hard time.
Ind vs SA: India openers have performed worst in South Africa than any other visiting country, Can KL Rahul & Mayank Agarwal change history?
- With Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill not part of the Test squad, KL Rahul & Mayank Agarwal will have a task cut out.
- This is because the openers have scored just 1075 runs from 39 innings.
- India’s opening partnership average of 27.56 is the lowest in South Africa which features just a couple of centuries and fifty partnerships.
- Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag had brought up the last fifty-plus score by an opening pair at Centurion in 2010 – 137 runs
- Overall, the openers have amassed just 1671 runs in 20 Tests at an average of 21.7 which include 1 century and 10 fifties.
Meanwhile, in Centurion, the visiting openers have had tough times in Tests since 2016. While the home team managed to play at an average of 37.77, visitors averaged 20.54. It is also the worst across 26 venues since 2016 that features Manchester, St Lucia, Birmingham & Adelaide.
As an opener, India vice-captain KL Rahul has amassed 808 runs from 18 innings at an average of 50.5. It features 3 centuries and 5 fifties but he had scored just 26 runs in a couple of Test matches against Proteas. Overall, KL Rahul has scored 1509 runs in 38 Tests @48.68.
Mayank Agarwal, on the other hand, is coming on the back of an excellent form. He struck a century and fifty in his last outing that will certainly give him confidence ahead of the first SA visit. He has amassed 1247 runs in 25 innings as an opener at a healthy average of 49.88. He has already slammed 340 runs in 3 Tests against SA at an average of 85 which features a couple of centuries.
Ind vs SA: India openers have performed worst in South Africa than any other visiting country, Can KL Rahul & Mayank Agarwal change history?
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