THREE Decembers ago, India began a Test series in SA that amounted to a world title fight.
India’s number one ranking was on the line and the Proteas, then the number two side, would have snatched the championship belt with a series victory. Roles will be reversed when the teams square off again at the Wanderers today.
SA are the top Test team by a handsome 12 ratings points with India in second place. In 2010-11, MS Dhoni’s team did not know what hit them at Centurion, where they lost by an innings and looked set to go down for the count.
But they staggered to their feet at Kingsmead, where they won, and drew at Newlands. Much has changed since then, not least that India’s coach, Gary Kirsten, switched allegiance and took SA to the top of the Test world, where they have remained for 16 months and 10 matches.
India’s decline has been as steady as SA’s rise. Dhoni’s men have won 12 and lost 10 of the 26 Tests they have played since that 2010-11 series. SA’s record in the same period is comparable in that they have played 21 and won 13.
But Graeme Smith’s team have lost just three, and they are far more adept at adapting to foreign conditions: eight of their victories have come at home, but they have also won in New Zealand, England, Australia and the Emirates.
India have suffered eight defeats on the road. Of their wins, 11 have been achieved at home.
Their poor showing in the one-day series against SA on this tour proved that, on livelier surfaces than they enjoy in India, their batting lineup remains among the most gun-shy in the cricket world.
The five batsmen in the ODI squad who are part of the Test group scored 172 runs at an average of 19.11 in the one- dayers.
The 244 balls they faced is all the match preparation India’s frontline batsmen have had for the Test series.
But that’s better than that afforded to Murali Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ravindra Jadeja, who joined the tour after the ODIs and would have been planning on getting their eye in during the scheduled two-day match against a SA Invitation XI in Benoni at the weekend. But the game was cancelled because of a wet outfield.
India’s other problem is lack of experience. Their likely top seven have 138 caps, while SA’s top seven boasts 488 caps – more than three-and-a-half times as many.
Seventy-nine of those Indian caps – 57% – belong to Dhoni, while Jacques Kallis has played 26 more Tests than India’s top seven.
None which will count for much this morning when Smith tosses and Dhoni calls to decide which team will bat first.
“There is moisture in this wicket and the cracks are looking good,” Smith said yesterday with a nod of approval that his world-class pace attack would have a traditional Wanderers pitch at their disposal.
“We’ve played enough at the Wanderers to know that both first innings are going to be tough, but if you post decent totals you have the best chance of winning.”
Vernon Philander is five wickets away from 100 – the same number that separates India’s Zaheer Khan from 300.
Hashim Amla’s return, in place of Dean Elgar, is the only change to the SA side that won the second Test against Pakistan in Dubai in October. India have not named a team.
Test bulls set to lock horns
India’s number one ranking was on the line and the Proteas, then the number two side, would have snatched the championship belt with a series victory. Roles will be reversed when the teams square off again at the Wanderers today.
SA are the top Test team by a handsome 12 ratings points with India in second place. In 2010-11, MS Dhoni’s team did not know what hit them at Centurion, where they lost by an innings and looked set to go down for the count.
But they staggered to their feet at Kingsmead, where they won, and drew at Newlands. Much has changed since then, not least that India’s coach, Gary Kirsten, switched allegiance and took SA to the top of the Test world, where they have remained for 16 months and 10 matches.
India’s decline has been as steady as SA’s rise. Dhoni’s men have won 12 and lost 10 of the 26 Tests they have played since that 2010-11 series. SA’s record in the same period is comparable in that they have played 21 and won 13.
But Graeme Smith’s team have lost just three, and they are far more adept at adapting to foreign conditions: eight of their victories have come at home, but they have also won in New Zealand, England, Australia and the Emirates.
India have suffered eight defeats on the road. Of their wins, 11 have been achieved at home.
Their poor showing in the one-day series against SA on this tour proved that, on livelier surfaces than they enjoy in India, their batting lineup remains among the most gun-shy in the cricket world.
The five batsmen in the ODI squad who are part of the Test group scored 172 runs at an average of 19.11 in the one- dayers.
The 244 balls they faced is all the match preparation India’s frontline batsmen have had for the Test series.
But that’s better than that afforded to Murali Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ravindra Jadeja, who joined the tour after the ODIs and would have been planning on getting their eye in during the scheduled two-day match against a SA Invitation XI in Benoni at the weekend. But the game was cancelled because of a wet outfield.
India’s other problem is lack of experience. Their likely top seven have 138 caps, while SA’s top seven boasts 488 caps – more than three-and-a-half times as many.
Seventy-nine of those Indian caps – 57% – belong to Dhoni, while Jacques Kallis has played 26 more Tests than India’s top seven.
None which will count for much this morning when Smith tosses and Dhoni calls to decide which team will bat first.
“There is moisture in this wicket and the cracks are looking good,” Smith said yesterday with a nod of approval that his world-class pace attack would have a traditional Wanderers pitch at their disposal.
“We’ve played enough at the Wanderers to know that both first innings are going to be tough, but if you post decent totals you have the best chance of winning.”
Vernon Philander is five wickets away from 100 – the same number that separates India’s Zaheer Khan from 300.
Hashim Amla’s return, in place of Dean Elgar, is the only change to the SA side that won the second Test against Pakistan in Dubai in October. India have not named a team.
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