What To Expect At Centurion - Venue For 1st SA v IND Test

SA v IND: The much-awaited three-match test series between India and South Africa will start on the boxing day - 26th December at SuperSport Park, Centurion. 

SuperSport has hosted 26 test matches so far in which only three have resulted in a draw. The team winning the toss has looked to bowl first 16 times. The team bowling first has won 12 matches while batting first teams have won 11. 

Playing in South Africa is always beneficial for the bowlers, especially fast bowlers. Of the three venues in this series, fast bowlers average 27.84 at Centurion, which is close to Johannesburg where pacers average 27.79; pacers in Cape Town average 30.15. 

In the rest of the venues, spinners average fairly well but Centurion doesn't offer much for the spinners - an average of 50.57, an economy of 3.19, and a 94.9 Strike rate. Throughout the five days, the conditions don't change much for the spinners. 

Pacers, however, keep getting dangerous as the game progresses. Where spinners pick wicket after every 75 balls, pacers strike every 41 balls in the 4th innings. 

With the ball coming onto the bat quickly, the prospect of scoring runs always remains open. Both pacers and spinners conceded more than three runs per over throughout the five days. 

Centurion Weather Report 

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Scattered thunderstorms are predicted in the first three days of the first test match. Play is likely to get interrupted with frequent rains if Centurion's weather report stands true.