'With heavy heart I've to leave out...': Manjrekar suggests two big changes in India's playing XI for Cape Town decider

India face two selection issues pertaining to the final tie - who replaces captain Virat Kohli when he returns from injury and who comes in for injured Mohammed Siraj, who has been ruled out of the third Test?

Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar made two big changes in India's playing XI for the third and final Test of the series against South Africa which will be played at the Newlands in Cape Town. India will be aiming to win their maiden Test series in the Rainbow Nation.

Indian team; Sanjay Manjrekar (ANI, Getty)

India face two selection issues pertaining to the final tie - who replaces captain Virat Kohli when he returns from injury and who comes in for injured Mohammed Siraj, who has been ruled out of the third Test?

Manjrekar, in conversation with ESPNCricinfo, opined that Hanuma Vihari, who made a gritty 40 in the second innings against South Africa in Johannesburg, will make way for Kohli, who had missed the Test match owing to upper back spasm. Manjrekar admitted that it was a tough choice to keep Vihari out and continue with Ajinkya Rahane, who had scored 58 in the Test match as well, given his lean patch.

“With a heavy heart I have to say that I have to leave out Hanuma Vihari to accommodate Virat Kohli with the big turmoil in my head on whether Rahane should be dropped despite a fifty. Because you have to look that the lean patch has lasted for too long, whether that one fifty deserves a kick out of that playing XI is something that I have debated in my mind,” he said.

Much of Manjrekar's remaining line-up remains the same as in the second Test while he picked the experienced Ishant Sharma as Siraj's replacement.

The pacer had incurred a hamstring injury during his run-up in the second Test where he bowled only 15.5 overs.