Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra has predicted a tough series for India on their upcoming multi-format tour of South Africa. While he doesn’t anticipate a clean sweep for either side, he believes the Proteas will hold the upper hand due to home advantage and their decent performance in the recent World Cup.

In a preview video on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra emphasized the importance of home conditions, citing South Africa’s recent World Cup success. He stated, “I don’t see a chance of a clean sweep anywhere. We are not playing a very good team in ODIs and they are also not playing a very good team. However, the conditions will still favour them and they have had a decent World Cup.”

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Aakash Chopra further predicted a possible 5-3 scoreline in favor of South Africa, highlighting their familiarity with the local conditions and their recent momentum. He expressed hope that his prediction would be wrong, but acknowledged the challenges India faces in the upcoming series.

India’s previous tour of South Africa in 2021-2022 was a forgettable experience. They lost both the ODI and Test series, with the latter concluding in a 2-1 defeat despite winning the first match. The ODI series was even more disappointing, with India suffering a whitewash.

These past results, combined with South Africa’s recent form, contribute to Aakash Chopra’s cautious outlook for the upcoming tour. It will be interesting to see how India responds to the challenge of playing in South Africa.

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The absence of senior players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Jasprit Bumrah will create opportunities for young players to step up and prove themselves. However, overcoming the home advantage and recent form of South Africa remains a significant obstacle for the Indian team.