Current India-South Africa Combined Test XI

Fast bowlers

Bhuvneshwar Kumar has proven to be the complete package

Bhuvneshwar Kumar

The only Indian representative in the four-man pace attack is Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The right-arm pacer has been sensational in the last two years across all three formats. His ability to swing the new ball has never been in doubt but he has recently added plenty of variations and extra pace to his arsenal.

His consistency and ability to stay injury-free helps him take the spot ahead of his compatriots Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami and Ishant Sharma.

Kagiso Rabada

In the absence of Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel, Kagiso Rabada has really taken it upon himself to be the leader of the bowling line-up. Only Nathan Lyon picked up more wickets than Rabada in Tests in 2017 and he has simply gone on from strength to strength ever since his debut.

Dale Steyn

Injuries have plagued the right-arm pacer over the last year and a half but he is finally back to full fitness ahead of the series against India. While the likes of Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Shami have been impressive, a fully fit Steyn is undoubtedly the better bowler. Over 400 Test wickets are a testament to just how lethal he can be when he is on song.

Morne Morkel

The fourth seamer slot was a toss up between Ishant Sharma and Morne Morkel in the absence of a genuine world-class all-rounder in either side. Although Ishant has been in good form, Morkel has shown he has an incredible knack of extracting extra bounce and troubling the batsmen irrespective of the conditions. On the verge of 300 Test scalps, the Proteas pacer gets the nod over Ishant to complete a well-rounded bowling attack.