Vengeful India out for pride

Friday April 11, 01:08 AM

testing dirtying

Kanpur, April 10: Call it an opportunity to save face or the perfect challenge for a resurgent team, India’s record at home is at stake and the team are leaving no stone unturned in their efforts to draw back level with South Africa in the third and final Test that starts at the Green park Stadium here on Friday.

After a rude shock on the lively Motera track in Ahmedabad where the visitors succumbed to their biggest Test defeat since 1959, the Green Park’s 22-yard strip was expected to be a square turner, and that’s exactly how it may turn out.

The surface that still had a tinge of green on Wednesday, stood bone-dry by sunset, already displaying cracks — a fair idea of how smart India are playing the crucial Test. Even though by skipper Anil Kumble’s analysis, the pitch will start turning prodigiously by the third day, one won’t be surprised to see if it comes to the aid of tweakers much earlier.

India are rarely under the hammer at home, it’s not surprising to see them play to their strength. The hosts have lost only two series over the past decade and after a great run Down Under, form has suddenly deserted them.

The series so far, save for Virender Sehwag’s monstrous 319 in Chennai, has been all about how efficient and strategically superior the South Africans have been. The visitors have thrived on a mediocre Indian attack posting 540, 331/5 and 494/7 declared in the three innings they played. AB de Villiers, Jacques Kallis, Neil McKenzie and Hasim Amla each have a century to their credit.

And just to prove that they have an incisive bowling attack to back their solid batting, Dale Steyn, Makhaya Ntini and Morne Morkel made life uncomfortable for the Indian batsmen with their pace and subtle variations. "As captain this is the first time I feel I have a bowling attack that can be successful in the sub-continent," Graeme Smith said on the eve of the final Test.

The gulf in the performance of the two sides that was surprising in Chennai, was embarrassing in Ahmedabad. Some have blamed it on the pitch; others have put it on the batsmen who, as one commentator put it, were ‘pitch-watching’ rather than ‘ball-watching’. A few have even raised questions about players’ priorities.

The upshot of all this is that India are 0-1 down at home, and desperate to pull one back. Even though no radical changes are expected in the playing XI, the India think-thank is mulling the idea of a change in strategy.

Yuvraj Singh is likely to be given a shot at redemption — a yet another chance to cement his place in the longer version of the game. The left-hander may be included in place of all-rounder Irfan Pathan. Another possibility is him being pushed up as an opener complementing Virender Sehwag.

Injury clouds have cleared over pacemen Ishant Sharma and Shanthakumaran Sreesanth with both bowling at full pace during the practice session. The skipper’s fitness will be assessed before the match. "We have a couple of problems to work around — unfortunately, my own injury is a major concern really — and that is giving us some stress. But I’ll take a final call tomorrow morning," said Kumble.

Off-spinner Ramesh Powar, drafted as a standby in the bloated 16-member squad, may make the cut if Kumble is unfit or if the think-tank decides on fielding a three-pronged spin attack.

Smith said he too would consider playing Robin Peterson as the second spinner, but added that track would keep low as the game progresses and that could bring Dale Steyn into the equation. South Africa can take confidence from the fact that they are one of two teams to have defeated India in a home series in the past decade. India though, would feel they are in with a chance — pushed to the wall the hosts have a knack of producing special performances.

"Whenever we are pushed to the wall, we perform exceptionally well. No matter what, we’ll play well," said Kumble.

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