VISAKHAPATNAM, India, Sept 01 (Agencies): Team India will aim to begin their home leg of the ICC World Test Championship on a high when they take on South Africa in the first Test of the three-match series beginning on Wednesday at the ACA-VDCA Stadium.
Virat Kohli''s men would be full of confidence after they consolidated their position as the No.1 side with a 2-0 series whitewash in West Indies, which also saw them earn their first points in the WTC.
They would go into the series as undeniable favourites considering their enviable record at home since 2012-13. Ever since the West Indies series which saw legendary batsman Sachin Tendulkar hang his boots, they''ve won each of their 10 series -- the joint highest by any team on their home soil.
This will be South Africa's first series since the retirement of Hashim Amla and Dale Steyn last month.
In the new squad, fast bowler Anrich Nortje, wicketkeeper-batsman Rudi Second and left-arm spinner Senuran Muthusamy are all uncapped.
Vernon Philander, who took Sharma's wicket in the three-day practice match, is confident of a good show in South Africa's first game in the World Test Championship.
India won a four-match series 3-0 with one draw when South Africa last toured in 2015.
Squads: India: Virat Kohli (capt), Ajinkya Rahane (vice-captain), Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Hanuma Vihari, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami
South Africa: Faf du Plessis (capt), Temba Bavuma, Theunis de Bruyn, Quinton de Kock, Dean Elgar, Zubayr Hamza, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Senuran Muthusamy, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Vernon Philander, Dane Piedt, Kagiso Rabada, Rudi Second
