India eye chance to wrap it up

Leading 1-0, Kohli's men will look to flatten South Africa with spin on a powdery surface

While not being entirely unique in the manner it has panned out, the ongoing Test series between India and South Africa has been bizarre in some way.

Out of the 10 scheduled playing days, stretching from 5th of this month, less than four days of play has been possible due to a combination of South Africa’s inept batting display in Mohali and inclement weather in Bengaluru.

While India wrapped up the first Test inside three days, persistent drizzle washed out full four days of the second tie. In fact, in the last 24 days since their two-day practice match against Board President’s XI in Mumbai, South Africa have spent less than four days playing competitive cricket while all but two of the Indian squad have played as much cricket in 30 days.

The third Test here at the Vidarbha Cricket Association stadium faces no threat from elements. Clear skies, bright sunshine and the mild breeze provide perfect setting for Test cricket but it remains to be seen if the playing surface facilitates the ebb and flow that one expects in a longer format. A crumbling pitch and, more crucially, lack of application from batsmen from either side, ensured the spinners held sway over the proceedings in Mohali.

In the second Test, on the opening day, South African batsmen once again succumbed to the demons in their mind. While it’s fair to say that India were favourites to take 2-0 lead in the four-Test series, it would have been premature to write the Proteas off.

The proceedings of the last two Tests have thus thrown up an interesting scenario now. South Africa are in a must-win situation to stay in the hunt for a Test series win in India in 15 years while the home team has a chance to claim its second successive series triumph, leaving the final Test in Delhi of academic interest.

Given the state of mind of both teams, it’s hard not to predict an Indian romp. The fear of the turning ball has sown seeds of doubt among the visiting batsmen that has been apparent in the way they have batted in the three innings so far. The open proclamation of the curator that the pitch here will be a spinning one wouldn’t have helped their fragile psyche. The appearance of the square – powdery top – would have only reconfirmed South Africa’s worst fears while leaving the Indian spinners licking their lips.

R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, who have claimed 24 of the 30 South African wickets between them, will be key to India’s fortunes. The warm weather in the day and a largely brown surface may once again force the team management to ring in changes to the playing 11. The two innings in Mohali and the lone innings in Bengaluru have made it evident that a third spinner on these kinds of surfaces is a luxury. If India indeed decide to go with two spinners, Rohit Sharma may be included in place of Stuart Binny, who played the second Test, to bolster the middle order. But the big question is if India would bite the bullet and go with 2-2 bowling combination.

South Africa on the other hand will be without their premier bowler – Dale Steyn – for the second Test in a row; the paceman is yet to recover from a stiff groin he picked up during the Mohali Test. Morne Morkel will spearhead the attack in his absence and it remains to be seen who will share the new ball with him – young Kagiso Rabada or Kyle Abbott – what with the visitors mulling two specialist spinners in their side. In that event off-spinner Simon Harmer may get the nod to form a three-pronged spin attack along with all-rounder JP Duminy and leggie Imran Tahir. With Dean Elgar providing the part-time left-arm spin option, South Africa will have variety as well in their ranks.

The biggest concern, however, for them will remain their batting. Two of their best players of spin – skipper Hashim Amla and Faf du Plessis – have looked uncertain while their openers have failed to kick on. The brilliance of AB de Villiers hasn’t been enough to mask the collective abject batting failure that may have surprised even the Indian team.