India ready to face chin music
19 Dec 2013 4:33 AM IST
This is the first Test for Team India following the retirement of Sachin Tendulkar who bid farewell after playing his 200th Test against West Indies in Mumbai last month. The first question that comes to mind is who will bat at number four? The true realisation of Tendulkar’s departure will dawn when a new face comes in to bat at the fall of the second wicket. It will probably be Virat Kohli attempting to fill in the big boots, an unenviable task surely.
This is India’s first overseas Test in nearly two years, since their tour to Australia in 2011-12. In 12 Tests at home thereafter, India won nine, lost two and drew one, winning series against New Zealand, Australia and West Indies.
They lost a series to England in between. Most importantly, this long home season ensured the transition with Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman departing the scene. Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Harbhajan Singh were side-lined owing to poor performances, giving a completely new look to the Indian team.
In this interim, Kohli has been the premier batsman for this young side for almost two seasons now. And ever since he has landed here, the Proteas have given him their undivided attention. Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel peppered him with pace and bounce in the ODI series, wherein he scored 31 runs and a duck in the first two ODIs.That India lost when he failed is, perhaps, a significant reminder of their reliance on Kohli, who has 11 hundreds in successful ODI run-chases. It isn’t his success rate in limited-overs cricket that makes him a first-choice pick for number four in Tests.
Instead, it is his aggressive mentality and gusty demeanour that was amply displayed when faced with blinding pace and fearsome bounce in the first ODI at the Wanderers. Riled by a Morkel delivery that hit him in the ribs, Kohli didn’t back away, and took on Steyn and company, or at least he tried to. In the two Tests though, he will need to mix this belligerent intent with caution. It is true for all other batsmen as well.
South Africa’s pace attack will once again look to exploit this bit with the red Kookaburra ball expected to do more than the white one. Not to mention, it is the same Wanderers’ deck that caused much pain to this young Indian batting line-up in the opening match on tour.
Any slip-ups in the first Test will bring alive an old memory, from 2006, when India under Rahul Dravid did manage to beat South Africa at the Wanderers, thanks to a handy eight-wicket haul from S Sreesanth and half-centuries from Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman.
A lot has changed since then for India but lightning does strike twice at the same place, sometimes.
This is India’s first overseas Test in nearly two years, since their tour to Australia in 2011-12. In 12 Tests at home thereafter, India won nine, lost two and drew one, winning series against New Zealand, Australia and West Indies.
They lost a series to England in between. Most importantly, this long home season ensured the transition with Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman departing the scene. Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Harbhajan Singh were side-lined owing to poor performances, giving a completely new look to the Indian team.
In this interim, Kohli has been the premier batsman for this young side for almost two seasons now. And ever since he has landed here, the Proteas have given him their undivided attention. Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel peppered him with pace and bounce in the ODI series, wherein he scored 31 runs and a duck in the first two ODIs.That India lost when he failed is, perhaps, a significant reminder of their reliance on Kohli, who has 11 hundreds in successful ODI run-chases. It isn’t his success rate in limited-overs cricket that makes him a first-choice pick for number four in Tests.
Instead, it is his aggressive mentality and gusty demeanour that was amply displayed when faced with blinding pace and fearsome bounce in the first ODI at the Wanderers. Riled by a Morkel delivery that hit him in the ribs, Kohli didn’t back away, and took on Steyn and company, or at least he tried to. In the two Tests though, he will need to mix this belligerent intent with caution. It is true for all other batsmen as well.
South Africa’s pace attack will once again look to exploit this bit with the red Kookaburra ball expected to do more than the white one. Not to mention, it is the same Wanderers’ deck that caused much pain to this young Indian batting line-up in the opening match on tour.
Any slip-ups in the first Test will bring alive an old memory, from 2006, when India under Rahul Dravid did manage to beat South Africa at the Wanderers, thanks to a handy eight-wicket haul from S Sreesanth and half-centuries from Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman.
A lot has changed since then for India but lightning does strike twice at the same place, sometimes.
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