India taking no chances when it comes to giving SA the slightest of advantage as local experts tell MiD DAY that the Nagpur pitch will ba a spinner's track
India taking no chances when it comes to giving SA the slightest of advantage as local experts tell MiD DAY that the Nagpur pitch will ba a spinner's track
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Sure, fair-play might earn teams some brownie points. But the stakes in the two-Test India vs South Africa series are so high, that the hosts will be tempted to make most of the home advantage. It's a battle for the No 1 Test ranking in world cricket as India prepare to take on South Africa in the first Test at the Vidarbha Cricket Association ground in Jamtha tomorrow. Naturally, India are leaving nothing to chance.
Apart from the status that accompanies the No 1 tag, there are big bucks too.
Plenty at stake
India only need to draw with South Africa to retain the No 1 spot in the ICC Test rankings. But if they lose the series, being billed as a world championship bout, they stand to lose the US$175,000 the ICC gives to the team that is on top in April.
Even though the Indian pace attack, spearheaded by Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma, has it in them to match South Africa's pace arsenal, the home team's clear strength is its spin force. Hence, the South Africans need not be surprised to find a turning track for the first Test.
Officially, the ground staff has maintained the wicket has pace and bounce. But those in the know of things here say the wicket will be made keeping in mind India's strength u2014 spin.
The lessons of the 2008 Test series are not forgotten either where Dale Steyn and Co showed in the second Test what they can do when there is some assistance from the wicket.
The SA pacemen ran through the Indian batting line-up on a Motera wicket which had grass cover to win the game. India went back to its strength and rolled out a turning track for the third Test at Kanpur, which the home team duly won.
SA's fast men relished playing on the wicket for its tour game against Board President's XI as it offered pace and bounce. But, the visitors are not living in false hope as to what to expect for the Test.
"I won't be surprised if I find a spinning track, though I would not say it would be a pleasant surprise," said SA coach Corrie Van Zyl. "We came here expecting to play on turning tracks and have prepared accordingly," said SA's middle-order batsman JP Duminy.
The Test wicket is expected to play more like the one for the India-Australia 2008 Test, the first on this venue. Rookie Australia off-spinner Jason Krejza walked away with an eight-wicket haul and India's Harbhajan Singh will relish the prospect of bowling against the SA batsmen.
"He is a world-class bowler, one of the main bowlers for India. Most batsmen find it difficult to play him. I am his teammate at Mumbai Indians and have spoken to him a few times about spin bowling, but certainly he hasn't exposed all that is there in his armoury," said Duminy.
Different challenge
Hashim Amla said it was a different challenge batting at No 3 in India.
"Batting at No 3 is a new challenge in India because you might be facing the spinners while in South Africa I am playing against pacers," he said.
As SA plan their strategy against spin, senior member of the side, keeper-batsman Mark Boucher who has been there and done that, advocated more use of the sweep shot.
"You have to play the sweep shot against the spinners on Indian wickets, it is a productive shot and I have been successful in India," said Boucher.
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