Why the India vs South Africa series could prove to be an edge-of-the-seat thriller

Proud lot
Ever since they were readmitted to the international fold, South Africa have always been rated as one of the top outfits in world cricket. The Proteas (earlier called Springboks) are a proud lot when they wear those green caps and the Indian crowd will see that passion coming through yet again.

Sachin Tendulkar will want to get his first home Test hundred against SA. Pics/Getty Images, mid day archives

Shock value?
India may be the No 1 side in the world but pundits are not rating them as favourites. There are some grey areas which could stick out. However, recent Indian teams have the knack of surprising the shrewdest of pundits. A classic case in point is the last home series against Australia. The men from Down Under had everything going for them to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy but India didn't allow them to win any of the four Tests.

Quality bowlers
The Nagpur and Kolkata tracks may not be thriving grounds for the bowlers. The batters will enjoy their time out in the middle but watch out for the spinners. A rookie like Jason Krejza bagged a heap of wickets in 2008 despite India winning and if the Kolkata track plays true to reputation, there could be some help for the paceman and spinners. Both sides have quality in these departments.

Top in order
The batsmen will be itching for a hit but the middle and lower order would not get too excited. India and South Africa have batsmen at the top of the order who can get massive scores and steal anyone's thunder. We are referring to South African captain Graeme Smith and India blaster Virender Sehwag. Sehwag scored a triple against the Proteas in the last series and Smith's highest score is 277. However, he has yet to score a three-figure knock against India. Watch him.