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Thursday April 10, 02:21 AM
Unlike the two pitches he has seen in the last three days, South Africa's bowling coach Vincent Barnes' face hasn't changed colour. Despite the fact that the visitors would be within their rights to protest against the misleading name to the venue - Green Park - Barnes seems unperturbed. It's a combination of two factors that shows that Barnes isn't spooked by the dry and dusty track here as the Indians were by the grassy wicket in Motera.
The exceptional show of his bowlers and the time his boys have spent in the sub-continent lately means the 48-year-old is in too good a mood to bad-mouth anyone. "It's going to be difficult, there is no doubt about it. It's good as this will test our bowlers in these conditions. We have world-class spinners in our midst. Paul Harris won a game for us in Pakistan and Robin Peterson did the same in Bangladesh. It gives them an opportunity," Barnes told The Indian Express. And as he realises that he might give up the bowling combination, he hastily adds: "in case they are played."
A guarded Barnes now goes on to speak about left-armer Harris, who is certain to play the Test. He reminds us of Harris's five-wicket haul in Cape Town during the 2007 tour against India to make his point. "That was a pitch where the ball started turning from the second day, and Harris was effective. If a pitch is going to offer turn and bounce, it will give any spinner a chance. It brings us in the game as much as it brings India in the game. They, too, will have to face our guys," he asserts.
Since South Africa's tour to India followed their trip to Pakistan and Bangladesh, Barnes has a 'been there, seen it and done it too' expression on his face as he takes a look at the Green Park track. He speaks about the pitch in Dhaka during the Bangladesh tour and how his team's fear proved unfounded. "We first thought the pitch was certain to break in the first couple of days. It actually lasted for five. The same thing happened in Chittagong as well," he says, highlighting how modern-day tourists to the sub-continent aren't that fussy about the dust bowls they encounter.
Barnes even sees a ray of hope emerging from the Green Park pitch for his pacers. He speaks about the plan for his fast-bowling department. "All one needs to do is to take a stock of the conditions early. If we say that swing is not going to work, we have to find other ways. If there are cracks and the wicket does deteriorate, it can also play in the hands of our pace bowlers. The ball is going to do different things in case it hits the deck," he says.
To emphasise his point, he speaks about Dale Steyn's spell on the dead track in Chennai. "Stamina is the key if one wants to succeed in the sub-continent. Steyn bowled an eight-over spell in Chennai, it could have killed a lot of bowlers. That was the spell of this tour," he says.
Ask him about the Indian bowling attack and he comes up with a counter question: "What's wrong with RP Singh?"
Despite the recent success, the paceman's ordinary outings in the first two Tests have seen him being dropped for this match.
"I'm sure there's nothing wrong with him. He looks a bit upright in his delivery (stride) and follow-through and he might have been looking a bit short on confidence after the injury break. He is an extremely dangerous bowler, who swings the ball well. I was impressed with him during the T20 World Cup. I know the ball is not going to swing that much in India, but I was surprised that he looked flat," he says.
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