India make another attempt to beat South Africa on their soil, and in spite of their recent form, they have a very good chance to do so. They have not won a one-day series as well as Test series in South Africa ever since the Proteas were readmitted into the international fold, and so this promises to be a tough tour indeed.
The warm-up match against the Rest of South Africa has shown what the Indians can expect, and it is quite clear that on this tour, especially in the Test matches, if the Indian batsmen want to drive, then they will have to hire a car, for none of the quicker bowlers from the South African team is going to pitch the ball up. That the South Africans have done their homework can be seen by the way they bowled to Mahendra Singh Dhoni, hardly giving him a ball in his front foot area, but pinning him to the back foot all the time. The Indian top order was disappointing, but these are early days, and maybe all the pitches will not be as bouncy as the one at Benoni.
The problem with modern-day tours is that there is only one warm-up match, which means that nobody really gets the opportunity to settle down and get a feel of the pitch. The team management would naturally like those batsmen likely to play in the internationals to play in the warm-up, but that means those in the reserves know that they do not fit in the scheme of things and so are more likely to lose focus and that too so early in the tour. The bowling certainties get rested since the team management does not want to expose them to the opposition, unless of course the bowlers are making a comeback to the team or are out of form and so need an outing. Rahul Dravid showed that he will be the rock of the side as he has been for a number of years now, and it once again brings to focus the number he should be batting at and it should be three and not later. What he brings to the crease is solidity and plenty of experience to deal with any situation, and it is always good for the side to have him steady the innings if an early wicket falls. India have been trying a lot of players at No. 3 and nobody seems to have made the spot his own, and on these pitches there won’t be a queue to bat at that number either.
With Zaheer back in the side, there is a bit of experience at the top of the bowling order too, for there is the danger that the youngsters seeing the ball bounce and carry to the keeper’s shoulders rather than ankles, may get a bit carried away and bowl the wrong length. Zaheer can show them the right length, but whether he will find a place in the XI remains to be seen. Anil Kumble will also bring lots of competitiveness to the attack, as also variety, so the bowling looks in good hands. What they need is of course some solid totals to defend, and that’s where the batsmen have to come good. If they consistently put up totals of 250-plus, then there is every reason to hope that India will emerge victorious.
The South Africans, according to some in their media, have an ageing team, but that’s only a negative way of looking at it, and the coach and skipper would quickly point out that it is experience that is vital in the international arena. That the Rest of South Africa team in the warm-up game consisted of many who have been in and out of the national side, showed that South Africa do not lose faith in their players with the odd failure, but keep them in mind.
The Indians’ recent performances do not raise much expectation, and thus, with the pressure reduced, history has shown that’s when they play at their best.
