Cricket: India bullish at Johannesburg
Johannesburg, January 2
India’s record-breaking cricketers will have a date with history when they take on an out-of-sorts South Africa in the second Test from tomorrow, pursuing a coveted first-ever series win in the country.
In the Boxing Day Test, Virat Kohli’s men breached the home team’s fortress at Centurion, where South Africa had lost only twice previously. The year’s first Test would be all about stoutly defending the Bull Ring at Johannesburg, where the Indians have never lost a Test match — of the five Tests India have played at the venue, they’ve won two and drawn three.
Also, it was right here in 2018 when the foundation of one of India’s greatest Test teams was laid with a solid win on a track that bordered on under-prepared and perhaps gave this unit the self-belief to take on the world. Kohli’s men have been fighting ever since and are in no mood to stop.
For Kohli, a Test victory at the Wanderers stadium would reaffirm his status as possibly the greatest Indian captain of all time in the traditional format, with series wins in three of the four SENA countries — South Africa, England and Australia — barring New Zealand.
There cannot be a more opportune time to achieve the feat against a South African side that lacks Graeme Smith’s grit, Hashim Amla’s class, Jacques Kallis’ manic consistency, Dale Steyn’s X-factor and Morne Morkel’s relentlessness.
This South African team will find it incredibly difficult to compete against this Indian line-up, leave alone harbouring dreams of a win. Yes, they have Kagiso Rabada, who is carrying the bowling load, and Lungi Ngidi, who has looked good, but Quinton de Kock’s sudden retirement from Tests at age 29 will make it tougher for them to navigation this transition period.
Ryan Rickleton, the 25-year-old dashing keeper-batter who is slated to make his debut, will find that scoring runs at the domestic level is very different from facing Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami in Test cricket.
Even Duanne Oliver, likely to replace Wiaan Mulder, out due to a hamstring injury, will find it extremely difficult against a seasoned Indian batting line-up which would like to give a better account of itself compared to the first Test.
Change unlikely
It is very difficult to imagine that India would be make any change to their winning combination, considering Kohli’s insistence on playing five bowlers.
India were penalised for slow over-rate in Centurion and Ravichandran Ashwin will be as integral to the visitors’ bowling plans on a seamer-friendly wicket as their four fast bowlers. Shardul Thakur is the weakest link in this attack as Umesh Yadav is a more potent paceman, but Thakur’s knack of picking up wickets and stronger batting ability keep him in the mix. But on a lively Wanderers track, Yadav won’t be a bad option even though that could mean playing an extra batter, which is not what Kohli prefers.
As far as the batting line-up is concerned, unless anyone reports unfit on the match day, all the five specialist batters along with Rishabh Pant will feature in the line-up.
Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane won’t be dropped yet as Dravid will give them chances to succeed. There is a possibility that he could shift his faith to Shreyas Iyer and Hanuma Vihari, which might not happen right now, if batting coach Vikram Rathour’s last media interaction is any indication.
The three big guns are due for a big score and it would be the Proteas’ worst nightmare if they fire in unison at the Wanderers. — PTI
Dravid, not Kohli, briefs media
On a personal note for Virat Kohli, the win in the first Test gives him the breathing space he requires, now that it’s official that he is no longer the establishment’s blue-eyed boy after his highly-publicised battle of “your truth versus mine” with a man no less than BCCI president Sourav Ganguly. Kohli the batter is still insulated from the heat despite no century over the last two years, but King Kohli is metaphorically wearing a crown of thorns. He didn’t face the media before and after the first Test and now head coach Rahul Dravid is literally living up to his ‘The Wall’ moniker, as he addressed the pre-match press conference.
