South Africa vs India 2018: India's probable playing XI for the third Test 

His first-class career might be as old as some of the current U-19 cricketers, but the diminutive Parthiv Patel has still not been able to crack the code at the highest level. The wicket-keeping technique oscillates between abysmal, average and acceptable, while the batting is nothing to write home about. The journeyman continues to ply his trade for India, perhaps not for very long.

There wasn't extreme pressure on Ravichandran Ashwin when he landed in South Africa, for it was realized that his bowling won't find conducive surfaces in the rainbow nation. After an insignificant role in the first Test, Ashwin fared better at Centurion, and will be itching to end on a high if he gets a chance in the third Test.

There is no doubt that Hardik Pandya's biggest strength is his ability to conjure clutch performances out of nowhere, but barring the 93 in the first Test, he has failed to create much of an impact. Till now, he has bowled like a schoolboy and acted like one too (read: bizarre run-out in the previous game), and will need to come up with a much more assuring display, especially with the ball, to shut his doubters.