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South Africa keen on wrapping up series in Durban

S. Ram Mahesh

The toss will be important again but might not make a big difference: Dhoni

— Photo: AP

WILL HE?The indications are that Cheteshwar Pujara might replace Suresh Raina who has been out of form.

DURBAN: For a while on Saturday, despite the generosity of the yuletide spirit, it was déjà vu all over again. It came down in a gauzy drizzle, drenching the harbour-side, wetting the murals, soaking the Christmas trees.

The gloom was reminiscent of Centurion as it was before the first Test. But there were differences.

India was able to fit in its final practice session before the second Test, unlike in Centurion where the players withdrew indoors for yoga; the conditions at Kingsmead — although they appear as if they will arm the quicker bowlers much as they seemed to at SuperSport Park — are subtly different.

“The toss will be important again,” said India captain M.S. Dhoni. “But the wicket, I think, will behave similarly over the Test match.

The forecast is for cloudy weather, and the stats show that whenever it's cloudy, the ball does a bit.

“So while the toss is important, because the wicket will be fresh on the first day, it might not make that big a difference because the wicket and the conditions will help the seamers throughout.”

Harder strip

The reasons for the difference between Kingsmead and SuperSport Park are twofold. The strip here is harder and has live grass breaking the surface — it is therefore less likely to ease as the match progresses, even if it is leached of moisture by the sun and the roller.

The ambient conditions in Kingsmead, a gull's flap from the ocean, are moodier than they are in the Highveld, the moisture-laden south-westerly wind and the changing of the tide bringing swing.

As a result, one of India's chief concerns from the first Test, the lack of penetration of the bowling, could be leavened. “How to get 20 wickets was a worry,” admitted Dhoni.

“But it looks like the bowlers will have the upper-hand here. With Zaheer (Khan) back, it should be different. The other bowlers, we know, have the talent. It's just a matter of execution and staying patient.”

In many ways, the Boxing Day Test will offer a clearer appraisal of India as the world's best side. On its way to the top, India has done two difficult things particularly well.

Bowlers have revelled

One, it has won Tests in conditions overseas that aid seam and swing — and even bounce. Contrary to intuition, swing bowlers don't despair when they see a bouncy track.

If they can harness swing, the bounce helps them in two ways: the batsmen, less inclined to play forward, are more likely to edge the full, swinging ball; and these edges carry. India's bowlers have revelled in these conditions even as its batsmen have done enough.

Two, India has recovered to win after terrible, draining defeats. In 2008, Sydney was followed by Perth (Australia), Ahmedabad was followed by Kanpur (South Africa) and Colombo by Galle (Sri Lanka). Earlier this year, Nagpur was followed by Kolkata (South Africa).

Indeed it's this resilience that's best characterised the Test team. Will India manage to repeat these trends against a South African side that has done its best to ward off complacency?

And how will the batsmen resist Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel in conditions that appear tailor-made for the world's best new-ball attack?

A touch worryingly for India, Gautam Gambhir, who fought hard at Centurion despite being overmatched in the first innings and retorted in style in admittedly easier batting conditions in the second, has a niggle. After being hit in the first Test, Gambhir's left-hand is bothering him.

He has batted in the ‘nets' despite the swelling, and knowing the left-hander, he will do all he can to play.

Gambhir's opening partner, Virender Sehwag, will be vital (is he ever not?).

Not only do his fast runs relieve pressure, they prevent a bowler from settling and forbid the full length so essential, as Alec Bedser wrote, for the complete development of swing and cut. Suresh Raina seemed out of his depth in the first Test.

He has rarely needed exemplary defensive technique in an era where bounce is a period curio, seldom removed from its glass case.

One wonders if he will be better benefited if he leaves the pressures of international cricket to work on his game.

The indications are that Cheteshwar Pujara will play at number six. But double-guessing the team management is a mug's game.

South Africa is understandably keen on wrapping the series up here, Captain Graeme Smith saying as much, while pointing to India's poor record in Durban. India's fans will hope his side reacts as Dhoni did.

“We don't really have anything to say about that,” he said. “We need to play some good cricket on the field, and let the ball and the bat do the talking.”

The teams (from):

South Africa: Graeme Smith (Capt.), Alviro Petersen, Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, A.B. de Villiers, Ashwell Prince, J.P. Duminy, Mark Boucher, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Paul Harris, Wayne Parnell and Ryan McLaren.

India: M.S. Dhoni (Capt.), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, V.V.S. Laxman, Suresh Raina, Cheteshwar Pujara, M. Vijay, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, S. Sreesanth, Pragyan Ojha, Wriddhiman Saha, Umesh Yadav and Jaidev Unadkat.

Umpires: Asad Rauf and Steve Davis. Match Referee: Andy Pycroft.

Hours of play (IST): 1.30 p.m. to 3.30 p.m., 4.10 p.m. to 6.10 p.m. and 6.30 p.m. till close .

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