Breaking it Down |
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Thursday April 3, 02:32 AM
The Twenty-Two Yards
After the featherbed in Chennai, all eyes are on the strip at the Motera. The pitch has a tinge of green on it that has put a smile on Graeme Smith's face. But the grass is present more for binding purposes and isn't expected to overtly assist the quick men. At the same time, the curator will be keen to ensure the bowlers get something out of the pitch, just in case this
Test becomes a repeat of the one played at Chepauk last week.
Team News
• India are toying with the idea of playing
Irfan Pathan in place of the injured Sachin Tendulkar in an attempt to pick 20 South African wickets.
• Laxman will move up the order thanks to Tendulkar's absence.
• Ishant Sharma didn't bowl too many in the nets yesterday and is an unlikely starter.
• South Africa are unlikely to change their combination.
History Lessons
• India have won three, lost one and drawn four in eight matches played at Sardar
Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad, where the second Test between India and South Africa will be played starting tomorrow.
• Built on the banks of the Sabarmati river on the outskirts of Ahmedabad, the stadium is an imposing structure which can accommodate approximately 48,000 spectators.
• Also known as the Motera, after the place where it is located, the venue hosted its first Test in November 1983 and has been witness to some memorable Indian feats - Sunil Gavaskar got to his 10,000th Test run here, against Pakistan in 1986-87, and seven years later, Kapil Dev nailed his 432nd victim to go past Richard Hadlee as Test cricket's leading wicket-taker.
• The pitch here used to aid bowlers - three of the first four Tests produced results - but of late the track has played slow and low, aiding neither the bowlers nor the strokeplayers.
• India have won three of the eight Tests they have played at this venue, drawing four and losing one. South Africa have lost the only game they have played here, in 1996.
HIGHEST INNINGS TOTALS
583-7 decl India vs New Zealand in 1999-2000
500-5 decl India vs New Zealand in 2003-04
407 England vs India in 2001-02
398 India vs Sri Lanka in 2005-06
395 Pakistan vs India in 1986-87
LOWEST INNINGS TOTALS
103 India vs West Indies in 1983-84
105 South Africa vs India in 1996-97
119 Sri Lanka vs India in 1993-94
190 India vs South Africa in 1996-97
201 West Indies vs India in 1983-84
HIGHEST INDIVIDUAL SCORES
222 Rahul Dravid (Ind) vs NZ in 2003-04
217 Sachin Tendulkar (Ind) vs NZ in 1999-00
152 M Azharuddin (Ind) vs SL in 1993-94
125 Sourav Ganguly (Ind) vs NZ in 1999-00
121 Craig White (Eng) vs India in 2001-02
BEST BOWLING IN AN INNINGS
9-83 Kapil Dev (Ind) vs WI in 1986-87
7-62 Harbhajan Singh (Ind) vs SL in 2005-06
7-115 Anil Kumble (Ind) vs Eng in 2001-02
6-21 Javagal Srinath (Ind) vs SA in 1996-97
6-87 Venkatapathy Raju (Ind) vs SL in 1993-94
BEST BOWLING IN A MATCH
11-125 V Raju (Ind) vs SL '93-94
10-135 Kapil Dev (Ind) vs WI in 1983-84
10-141 Harbhajan Singh (India) vs SL in 05-06
10-233 Anil Kumble (Ind) vs Eng in 2001-02
7-69 Allan Donald (SA) vs India in 1996-97
Last Time Around
India vs SA, November 20-23, 1996
India won the toss and elected to bat
BRIEF SCORES: India 223 (Sachin Tendulkar 42; Allan Donald 4-37) and 190 (VVS Laxman 51; Allan Donald 3-32, Paul Adams 3-30) beat South Africa 244 (Fanie de Villiers 67 not out; Sunil Joshi 4-43) and 105 (Hansie Cronje 48 not out; Javagal Srinath 6-21, Anil Kumble 3-34)
Result: India won by 64 runs
Man of the Match: Javagal Srinath
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