<p class="title">Graeme Pollock, one of South Africa's batting greats, expressed his surprise over India's decision to bat first in the third and final Test here at the Wanderers.</p>.<p class="bodytext">With overcast conditions and pitch sporting more grass than the normal, India were shot out for 187 as all the five South African pacemen got amongst the wickets.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I think the surprising thing is that they won the toss and batted," Pollock told DH here on Wednesday. "It's a greener wicket than the normal at the Wanderers, there was a bit of a cloud. I think if the weather stays, the wicket will get a little bit easier, maybe we will get some more runs on the second and the third day."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Arguably the finest No 4 batsman of all-time, Pollock is mighty impressed with Kohli the batsman. Like Pollock, Kohli too bats at four in the longer format. </p>.<p class="bodytext">"I think he is a wonderful player," said Pollock before going on to add that the current Indian batting line-up came nowhere near the likes of the Tendulkars and the Dravids. "The Indian batting line-up of the past, the Sachins, the Dravids, the Laxmans and the Sehwags… That's a totally different line-up. This line-up is nowhere close to that. The only current batsman that probably in that league is Kohli at the moment. I saw these guys playing in India on low and slow wickets and they are good players but to adapt to different conditions isn't easy.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"And the conditions in the last couple of Tests have been foreign even to South Africa. Cape Town normally doesn't seam as much and gives the quickies as much help; Centurion was slow and (had) inconsistent (bounce) and if the Wanderers has grass and the weather is overcast, you are going to have a problem," he explained. </p>.<p class="bodytext">Pollock felt that the current Indian batsmen were good in home conditions but are finding it difficult to cope with the bouncy conditions.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"The guys that are new into the game have been playing on essentially on slow and low wickets, and to come and bat in these conditions, it's a huge difference," Pollock pointed out. "My only concern is that I don't think the batsmen have played to their natural and normal abilities; not playing positively, they are just playing not to get out and they are not controlling the game. The guy (Pujara) faced 53 balls for no run… I think they are playing not to get out as against normal play, to bat at a faster rate," he offered.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The South African legend, however, was mighty impressed with the Indian seam attack.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I thought the seam attack has been pretty good. I thought Ashwin would have played a bigger part in the first two Tests, in India he was virtually unplayable. I am surprised that he hasn't done all that well in South Africa but the seamers have been pretty good."</p>
<p class="title">Graeme Pollock, one of South Africa's batting greats, expressed his surprise over India's decision to bat first in the third and final Test here at the Wanderers.</p>.<p class="bodytext">With overcast conditions and pitch sporting more grass than the normal, India were shot out for 187 as all the five South African pacemen got amongst the wickets.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I think the surprising thing is that they won the toss and batted," Pollock told DH here on Wednesday. "It's a greener wicket than the normal at the Wanderers, there was a bit of a cloud. I think if the weather stays, the wicket will get a little bit easier, maybe we will get some more runs on the second and the third day."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Arguably the finest No 4 batsman of all-time, Pollock is mighty impressed with Kohli the batsman. Like Pollock, Kohli too bats at four in the longer format. </p>.<p class="bodytext">"I think he is a wonderful player," said Pollock before going on to add that the current Indian batting line-up came nowhere near the likes of the Tendulkars and the Dravids. "The Indian batting line-up of the past, the Sachins, the Dravids, the Laxmans and the Sehwags… That's a totally different line-up. This line-up is nowhere close to that. The only current batsman that probably in that league is Kohli at the moment. I saw these guys playing in India on low and slow wickets and they are good players but to adapt to different conditions isn't easy.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"And the conditions in the last couple of Tests have been foreign even to South Africa. Cape Town normally doesn't seam as much and gives the quickies as much help; Centurion was slow and (had) inconsistent (bounce) and if the Wanderers has grass and the weather is overcast, you are going to have a problem," he explained. </p>.<p class="bodytext">Pollock felt that the current Indian batsmen were good in home conditions but are finding it difficult to cope with the bouncy conditions.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"The guys that are new into the game have been playing on essentially on slow and low wickets, and to come and bat in these conditions, it's a huge difference," Pollock pointed out. "My only concern is that I don't think the batsmen have played to their natural and normal abilities; not playing positively, they are just playing not to get out and they are not controlling the game. The guy (Pujara) faced 53 balls for no run… I think they are playing not to get out as against normal play, to bat at a faster rate," he offered.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The South African legend, however, was mighty impressed with the Indian seam attack.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I thought the seam attack has been pretty good. I thought Ashwin would have played a bigger part in the first two Tests, in India he was virtually unplayable. I am surprised that he hasn't done all that well in South Africa but the seamers have been pretty good."</p>
