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A venue known for high drama beckons

Nandita Sridhar

India will look to extend its good run at the Sardar Patel stadium

— Photo: AFP

BEND IT LIKE THAT: With a tinge of grass on the Motera pitch, South African skipper Graeme Smith will be hoping that pacer Dale Steyn, who had a backache in Chennai, will get better results for his efforts.

Ahmedabad: The Sardar Patel Stadium is intimidating. It can hold 51,000 spectators, but the arrangement hasn’t been designed for grace. The stands are high and the ground size is massive.

The structure, built for drama, has offered itself for Indian theatre. Back in 1983, when the pitch was less of a pacifist than what it has been in the recent past, Kapil Dev managed nine wickets in an innings against the West Indies.

Sunil Gavaskar got past 10,000 runs on this ground. Kapil resumed connections by breaking Richard Hadlee’s world record here. India would enjoy such a privilege when the second Test begins here on Thursday.

South Africa has shown eagerness in revealing its plans for Virender Sehwag. Short balls have been promised for the record-breaking opener. For Sehwag, the pull-shot has never materialised with the same ease as its off-side cousins.

The execution carries reluctance, like he’s forced into it by a whimsical quickie. It’s when nothing else can work that it’s summoned to service.

Redeeming spells

Makhaya Ntini and Dale Steyn’s bowling on the fourth day at Chennai was heartening. A rampant Sehwag can instil distrust on the basics of bowling. With Test cricket offering a night of contemplation, Ntini and Steyn were back with redeeming spells.

Some grass has been left on the track in its capacity to bind the top soil. Fast bowlers will be helped in the first hour, but batting will ease itself into prominence thereafter.

The rough outfield will ensure prudent dives and saves, which should worry those fielders who’d fumbled on the easier outfield in Chennai. Steyn will be pleased with it for what it can do for reverse swing.

While stating the obvious, Mickey Arthur stressed on Sachin Tendulkar’s absence. That Tendulkar will be missed isn’t so much the topic of discussion, as the right replacement for him in the eleven.

V.V.S. Laxman will find a higher spot in the batting order. Mohammad Kaif or Yuvraj Singh, one of who’ll make it if Anil Kumble decides to go in with four bowlers, may give little assurance to the lower order.

Dhoni’s Test spot has been held on to largely by his improved ’keeping. In the last few series, India’s one-day captain has batted without the confidence or the calculated aggression he’s shown in one-dayers.

The Indian middle-order, save for Rahul Dravid, hasn’t been given sufficient time and its own pace to work with.

The team’s composition will be decided on Thursday morning, depending on the fitness of Ishant Sharma and Kumble. Ishant had a reasonably lengthy session on Wednesday morning, bowling with his regular run-up. Kumble revealed his condition had improved, but was tight-lipped on the eleven and the wicket.

South African captain Smith said the side would most likely go in with the same eleven. “We would like to stick to this combination. We just hope it’s a result-oriented pitch, because it looks different from the one in Chennai. There is some grass on it, so hopefully it will stay good. The first session of play will be important and we’ll look to get something out of the new ball.”

Sustained efforts

The Indian bowling looks in need of sustained efforts. Kumble and Harbhajan Singh made up for the opening bowlers’ waywardness in Chennai. The South African openers are gaining in confidence, but India will be encouraged by the spinners’ success. India’s best chance for a result here would be with spin.

The two sides met here last in 1996, when Javagal Srinath’s spell left the visitors fuming at the lack of consistent bounce.

No one from that South African side is in the squad for this series, while India still has Tendulkar (though not for this match), Dravid, Ganguly, Laxman and Kumble, as the team’s core. Along with Sehwag, it’ll be left to them to charter the side’s course.

The teams (from): India: Anil Kumble (captain), Virender Sehwag, Wasim Jaffer, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, V.V.S. Laxman, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Harbhajan Singh, R.P. Singh, S. Sreesanth, Irfan Pathan, Piyush Chawla, Mohammad Kaif and Yuvraj Singh.

South Africa: Graeme Smith (captain), Neil McKenzie, Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, Ashwell Prince, A.B. de Villiers, Mark Boucher, Morne Morkel, Paul Harris, Dale Steyn, Makhaya Ntini, J.P. Duminy, Robin Peterson and Monde Zondeki.

Umpires: Billy Doctrove and Tony Hill; Third umpire: Suresh Shastri. Match Referee: Roshan Mahanama.

Hours of play: 9.30 a.m. to 11.30 a.m.; 12.10 p.m. to 2.10 p.m.; 2.30 p.m. till close of play.

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