As players we are in the habit of insisting that all international games are of equal importance, and it’s true on one level, but let’s be honest – some are more equal than others and the second Test is one of those!
I have always enjoyed batting at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium although I don’t suppose there will be much of the pace and bounce we have seen there over the years in the IPL.
I have the greatest admiration for curators who do an extremely difficult job with a lot of criticism and very little thanks.
All I know for sure is that you cannot completely change the nature of a surface. You can vary it, but there is an element of nature which you cannot alter.
Dale Steyn’s likely absence is obviously a blow although Kagiso Rabada is an exciting addition to the pace attack and obviously Morne (Morkel) will return which means a bit more discomfort for the Indian top order.
Return of DuminyThe return of J-P Duminy also provides that vital degree of balance which was missing in Mohali. If he bats at number six then I expect one of the spinners to drop out. It will be a tough choice between the control of (Simon) Harmer and the attacking skills (Imran) Tahir, but Hashim (Amla) is a captain who plays to win.
It is also going to be a huge occasion for AB (de Villiers) playing his 100th Test at what has become his ‘second home’.
The Bengaluru and Royal Challengers crowd love him so much there that I can’t help wondering whether they will have divided loyalties!
I’ll never forget when AB first came into the Test team — we didn’t know what he was, a wicketkeeper, an opening batsman, a middle order player? All we knew for certain was that he had a touch of genius and was destined to have a long international career.
In fact he was all of those things in his first few Tests and has continued to be versatile to suit the team’s needs. That is the ‘secret’ of AB’s success, a complete lack of ego.
AB is one of the most selfless cricketers I have met. A big innings or any personal success means nothing to him if the team does not win, and he also couldn’t care less if he scores a nought as long as the team wins.
There is an awful lot to play and the stakes are high but I still think it will be the team which collectively stays the calmest and thinks the clearest will win. — Hawkeye / Chivach Sports
