Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli bats during the first Test in Cape Town. This sight could be repeated as Mark Boucher says "few balls could fly past" batsmen's ears.Reuters

There will be no respite for Indian batsmen as they will face South African bowlers on a "quickest" pitch at Johannesburg in the third Test from January 24, according to former Proteas' wicketkeeper Mark Boucher.

In the two Tests so far in the series, Indian batsmen failed against the hosts' fast bowlers. Debutant Lungi Ngidi rattled them in the second innings of the second Test in Centurion by claiming six wickets. India lost the match by 135 runs and with that the series 0-2. The first Test in Cape Town saw the hosts winning by 72 runs.

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The conditions at Centurion's SuperSport Park were similar to subcontinent. However, Johannesburg will have a "lot greener" wicket.

"A lot greener (pitch) than what you have seen. The one wicket the South Africans will be licking their lips to play on is at the Wanderers," Boucher told Hindustan Times newspaper when asked about the pitch for third Test.

He added, "We know it's definitely going to be the quickest and the one with the most bounce. But India have also won a Test here. So, if they bowl in the right areas, they can also put pressure on the South Africa batsmen. I think with the height of our bowlers, India's batsmen have to work really hard to get their runs. There will be a few balls flying past their ears as well."

South Africa captain Faf du Plessis and star batsman AB de Villiers have already made their intentions clear that they will go for a 3-0 whitewash against Virat Kohli-led India. If the visitors have to avoid that, they have to really bat well.

The Test rubber will be followed by six One Day Internationals and three Twenty20 Internationals.

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