CENTURION: So what is in store at Centurion for India?
Lets start with the pitch first. It is a lot browner than it was on Thursday and whatever little grass was visible then, has disappeared. This means there will be little movement off the pitch once the new ball loses its shine.
This is where it gets interesting. Faf du Plessis is already sort of disappointed with the look of the strip. “It looks a bit browner than I thought it would be. The grass on the wicket has been burnt from the heat over the last week. It was very hot. We’ve asked for pace and bounce so hopefully we will get that,” he said.
For India, even after studying the wicket for over two days now, they are still not entirely convinced how the wicket is going to behave. They believe, it could be more of a ‘patta’ that they get back home, but with lot of bounce and pace. This has also resulted in them keeping their options open.
Keeping the pitch and team combination talk aside, the visitors find themselves in a tricky position. The last two occasion they went into the second Test having lost the opening one (vs Sri Lanka in 2015, vs Australia in 2017), they came back strongly. But this would be real test of their character. To repeat such a feat away from home, on conditions that are alien, will require cojones. To comeback and draw the series from here, India know they need to do a lot better than they did in Cape Town, in all three departments.
“It is a test of character. That’s one reason why we have won many games in the past is because we have applied ourselves really well. And the most important thing is that we don’t give up after being put under pressure. We are a team that looks to fight back and get right back into the game. We are not a team that gives opposition easy victories,” Kohli said on Friday.
With backs to their wall and series in line, India will not only be up against a strong South Africa side, but also at a venue, which has been the toughest for touring teams to get adjusted to. The SuperSport Park is considered to be the most difficult place to bat in South Africa, and it is the reason why none of the Asian sides have ever managed to win here. In fact, they all have lost by an innings margin at this venue, where South Africa have won 17 off the 22 Tests. The hosts have lost only two matches here, where the crowd gets as intimidating like it is in Australia.
To compound matters for India, South Africa do not have that many headaches when it comes to selecting the team. They only have only one choice to make. The indication from Du Plessis was that all-rounder Chris Morris will replace Dale Steyn in the eleven if they decide to play four seamers. There are also thoughts to include Lungi Ngidi to balance the quota system, but irrespective of who plays, the hosts will be played.
“India at times were really good in the first Test. That’s why I said it was one of the best Tests I’ve played in, because there were so many ups and downs for both teams. India was in the game for 90% of it, so it was a fantastic contest between two really strong teams. They would have taken a lot of positives from that match, and they will feel they weren’t far off. Their bowlers took 20 wickets. The only part when we were a little bit better was we got more runs in the first innings. I expect another huge performance from them. For us, it’s about making sure we don’t take a step back and rely on a 1-0 lead. If you do that against a strong team like India they will pounce on you,” Du Plessis said.
There is also a reason why Du Plessis has been asking for more bowling friendly conditions. The hosts believe, if they present a wicket with pace and bounce and on the flatter side, then it would hand over the advantage to India. “We prepare bowling friendly conditions because we want to win Test matches. Sitting here as a batsman, the first priority is to win games. If we play in a series where the ball takes the upper hand, so be it. As long as we are winning it is fine,” Du Plessis said.
venkatakrishna@newindianexpress.com