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Indian captain Virat Kohli has won the toss and elected to bat on a seamer-friendly wicket in the third Test against South Africa in Johannesburg. Though India are no Sri Lanka, they have also lost the series, their batsmen barring Virat Kohli are struggling, and their hold on the No.1 ranking could be closed down to a mere fraction if South Africa win 3-0. Check out the following details. On Wednesday, will Virat Kohli, Ravi Shastri and the rest of the team management go the horses-for-courses way and decide to play four proper quicks – picking the fourth quick at the cost of Ravichandran Ashwin? “I don’t think that has been our motivation ever. Hopefully we will get that”.

“I think it’s a collective responsibility of every one and those aspects (of preparing early) are and have been a point of consideration for a while”, said the skipper.

After the dramas of the second Test, where Du Plessis and the Proteas were not given the wicket they wanted, the skipper is far more pleased with what he has seen in Johannesburg so far. “His performances speak for themselves, it’s about whether he can get the best out of those around him when they are under pressure”, he said.

“From the team perspective and the language we speak to him, it’s that he just keeps having that positive intent and that we he gets the opportunity to get runs he cashes in”.

Exactly two weeks ago, Vernon Philander was the toast of the South African attack after he completed a career-best 6 for 42 in the series-opening win over India.

“We all know he’s an outstanding player, his intensity really benefits his own personal game, he loves that confrontation and intensity brings the best out of him”, Smith said yesterday. “Definitely these two things we have to take into consideration going into this Test match”.

The pitch, combined with forecasts of overcast conditions and the chance of rain, has led to suggestions that South Africa may leave out left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj and look to bolster their batting line-up. India have played four Tests at this ground – November 1992, January 97, December 2006 and 2013 – and are yet to lose a single game. They’ve come this time around with a very good seam attack and if you have that, you will be able to compete. Like I said, the individuals have reflected on those things, and when a similar situation arrives, you have to make sure you don’t repeat the same mistake. Chris Morris is away on paternity leave. If you do get in, string together a partnership.”South Africa have, and they have the series spoils to show for it”.

“I said after the first Test that the difference between us and them was that the batters contributed partnerships‚” he said.