South African cricket has been wracked by stories of racial disharmony. They have also lost some of their best players who have retired as India aim to win maiden Test series in the Rainbow Nation
India captain Virat Kohli with head coach Rahul Dravid (right) during a training session ahead of the first Test against SA at Centurion. Pic/BCCI
At the moment Indian cricket will be focussed on the Test matches beginning in South Africa. India have never won a Test match series in South Africa and will be looking forward to doing it this time.
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South African cricket has been wracked by stories of racial disharmony among the players. They have also lost some of their best players who have retired and truth be told the Proteas batting looks pretty fragile and vulnerable.
Added to that is the news that Anrich Nortje their fastest bowler will be missing the entire three-match Test series.
Over in Australia, England seem to be heading for a whitewash unless Christmas prayers work of course and the series changes the course.
For that to happen the selection of their playing eleven becomes crucial. Maybe even that might not help as their batting looks shattered and unable to cope with the extra bounce of the Australian pitches.
The exaggerated forward movement that the English players are used to in England means they are unable to quickly transfer their balance on to the back foot to ride the bouncing ball and score off it.
Their batsmen have thus become sitting ducks for the Aussie pacers and that tentativeness results in flat feet against the off-spin of Nathan Lyon too. With David Warner back in form again and Marnus Labuschagne showing why he is the number one ranked batsman in the world, the pressure on Steven Smith has lessened.
England’s catching also has been shocking and all the above mentioned batters have got more than one life in the series so far and which they have encased to rub it in.
Joe Root’s position as captain of the team could be in danger if England lose the series which they look likely to.
What all this does show is the importance of India’s magnificent series win and that too after being dismissed for their lowest ever score in Test match cricket.
Yes, the wins in Melbourne and then in Brisbane were massive and who knows many years later if brought out on celluloid could well bring the tears like 83 did to Kapil’s Devils.
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