Does India have a chance of finally making history in South Africa? No sub-continental outfit has won a Test series in the Rainbow Nation.
Virat Kohli and his men will encounter conditions where the ball could seam around and bounce. They will be tested.
The coming days in South Africa could be tough. Yet, it is not beyond the Indian team to notch up its first Test series victory in South Africa. This Protea side can be beaten at home. Here’s what India needs to do.
Find the right opening combination: The technically pleasing M. Vijay — his judgment around the off-stump is impeccable and he can sway away from the short-pitched deliveries — will be the side’s No. 1 opener.
The team management, however, will have to choose between Shikhar Dhawan, if he recovers from an ankle injury, and K.L. Rahul for the second opener’s slot.
It’s a tough call. Both Dhawan and Rahul are in form but the think-tank could prefer the former for the first Test since he is an aggressive left-hander and, thus, could form a left-right combination of contrasts with Vijay.
This said, the smooth-stroking K.L. Rahul might better suit the team’s game-plan of denying early wickets to the South African pacemen.
Start well: The opening batsmen and the No. 3 will have a huge role to play. If the Indians can see out the first 25 overs without too much damage, then the chances are that the side will put up a sizable score.
The Kookaburra ball, to be used in the series, swings a lot more when new. The Kookaburra has less of a seam than the Duke ball and loses its shine quicker. Consequently, as the ball gets older, it does a lot less, becomes easier to counter. Interestingly, the Kookaburra ball does not quite support reverse swing either.
Bat tight, but don’t lose sight of scoring: The reliable No. 3 Cheteshwar Pujara shows the way on seaming tracks. He plays close to his body, relies on pushes in the ‘V’ rather than extravagant drives and judges length well. Batsmen need to be tight around the off-stump. Footwork — sound back-foot play is critical — will have to be decisive.
It is also important on these pitches to make use of the scoring opportunities when the bowler errs in length, and the cut and the pull are very productive strokes. If he does not walk in early on, Kohli can execute these strokes with telling results.
Up against a red hot pace attack of Dale Steyn, Kagiso Rabada, Morne Morkel, and Vernon Philander, India will be hoping that Ajinkya Rahane, again someone who can cut and pull capably, finds form. Coping with an attack of searing intensity, the batsmen need heart as much as technique.
They will also be tested by Keshav Maharaj, a capable left-arm spinner with control and subtle variations.
Balance the XI: The chances are that India might prefer an additional batsman in Rohit Sharma over pace-bowling all-rounder Hardik Pandya for the first Test in Cape Town. An in-form Rohit could be the insurance the side needs against a collapse. The final choice could hinge on the nature of the pitch though. If the surface appears flat, India might prefer an additional bowler.
Decide on the spin attack: India is likely to field only one spinner unless the pitch suggests otherwise. Off-spinner R. Ashwin has the edge over Ravindra Jadeja since, given his height, action and over-spin, he can exploit better the bounce on the South African pitches. His sound batting will lend weight to the Indian line-up too.
Yet, against a bating unit dominated by right-handers, among major batsmen only Quinton de Kock is a southpaw, left-arm spinner Jadeja has the advantage of being able to spin the ball away from the batsman. Is this the reason Ashwin has been bowling the occasional leg-spinner at various levels over the past 18 months?
Fight fire with fire: This is, perhaps, the biggest cause for India’s optimism. Despite the presence of the influential Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis in the South African line-up, the Indian pace pack of Mohammed Shami (skiddy pace), Umesh Yadav (speed and movement), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (controlled two-way swing), Ishant Sharma (off-stump line and bounce) and Jasprit Bumrah (out-swing and scorching yorkers) can hurt the host. If the pitches are lively, India too can hit back.
The host no longer has the rock-like presence of Jacques Kallis. This South African batting is vulnerable to pressure and has a rather longish tail.
Get the slip cordon right: The Indians have been experimenting with positions in the slips and offerings have been put down. The slip cordon is a vital part of a winning strategy on seaming tracks. For the pacemen to strike, India will need to find specialists here.
India can make history in South Africa but will need to get several aspects of its cricket right on what should be a demanding campaign.
