Former India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar is confident of Ajinkya Rahane making it to the playing eleven in the last Test match against South Africa. Gavaskar believes India may not make any changes in the playing eleven apart from the forced ones.

Mohammed Siraj was injured in the second Test match and if he is not fully fit, India might bring in Ishant Sharma or Umesh Yadav in his place. India captain Virat Kohli is also likely to return to the team after missing out on the second Test due to an upper back spasm.

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Hanuma Vihari had played as a replacement of Kohli in Johannesburg, and Gavaskar said he will have to sit out in the next match. Vihari had scored 20 and 40* in the two innings of the second Test.

Speaking on Star Sports' show, Gavaskar said, "Apart from the injury aspect about Siraj I don't see any changes in the XI. This was pretty much the same team that won the first Test match. Obviously, when Kohli comes back Vihari will be the one to miss out. 

"And if Siraj doesn't recover or the team management doesn't have enough confidence in him, because in a five-day Test match and on a day he is expected to deliver, but if he isn't being able to bowl for 15-20 overs owing to the hamstring then they will have him replace. Whether it will be Umesh Yadav or Ishant Sharma, but that is going to be the only concern as far as the Indian team is concerned."

The 72-year-old further added that the team management wouldn't think about sitting out Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara after backing him for so long. Both of them had shown signs of a return in the form in the previous match and they scored a half-century.

“Already the team has backed them owing to their experience and what they have done for India in the past. And they did come good. You have these exciting young players waiting in the wings whom we are all wanting to see but as long as these senior players are playing and playing well and not getting out badly them I think we should stick with them and have faith in them," he added.

(With Star Sports Inputs)