Team India players are currently in quarantine before their two-format tour of South Africa gets underway on December 26. India will play three Tests, followed by as many ODIs against the Proteas with the opening Test at the SuperSport Park in Centurion.
Opening batter Mayank Agarwal is among touring squad, who is quarantining with the rest of the team at a hotel in Mumbai. Ahead of the tour, Agarwal conducted a Ask Me Anything session on social media, meanwhile, Axar Patel who didn’t make the cut for the overseas assignment, posed himself as a supporter ad asked his teammate a funny question.
The left-arm spinner in chaste Hindi asked, “Mayank sir big fan aap apne fans ke liye kya kehna chahoge.” (roughly translates to, Mayank Sir, Big Fan. What message do you have fans for your fans). Agarwal came with up with a rib-tickling response to Patel and wrote, “Keep supporting and believing. Bas left arm spin mat daalo, bahut stiff competition hai.” (Keep supporting and believing. Don’t bowl left-arm spin because the competition is very stiff). Patel replied saying, “Oye hoye hoye hoye, what a player.”
Although, Patel is yet to be one of India’s best bets in touring conditions, he’s stamped his authority on home soil. The 27-year-old made his Test debut earlier this year against England and has impressed everyone by picking up 36 wickets with as many as five five-wicket hauls in as many Tests so far. Agarwal played a crucial role in India’s massive win over World Test Champions New Zealand in the second test in Mumbai.
Meanwhile, all eyes will be on Virat Kohli and Co, as both the bilateral series of the tour will be highly consequential. The red-ball rubber will be Kohli’s second in the rainbow nation and it is the only place where Team India are yet to register a Test series triumph. Kohli will lead the 18-man squad in this tour and they will miss their newly-appointed vice-captain Rohit Sharma due to a hamstring injury.
Get all the IPL news and Cricket Score here