CLARE LOVELL, Hove | Thursday 12.30pm.
SOUTH Africa have an enviable one-day record coming into the World Cup but the pressure will be on Hansie Cronje’s side when they play India in their group A opener on Saturday.
Boasting the all-round skills of Jacques Kallis, Shaun Pollock and Lance Kluesner, the acrobatic fielding of Jonty Rhodes and Allan Donald’s pace bowling, South Africa have been installed as firm Cup favourites and anything short of victory on this southern England ground will be an enormous let-down.
India, winners in 1983, are under a different sort of pressure. They are not tipped to win here but back home the nation is more than usually cricket-obsessed. Sales of televisions have gone through the roof as fans prepare for the Cup and the burden of his compatriots’ expectations falls squarely on the shoulders of Sachin Tendulkar, hailed by many as the finest batsman since Donald Bradman.
The back spasms which kept Tendulkar out of the Sharjah Cup have eased and he has been able to relax a little in England where he can move freely without being mobbed.
India are relying on pace bowlers Javagal Srinath and Venkatesh Prasad, and seamers Ajit Agarkar and Robin Singh to make the most of the damp English wickets. They also have leg-spinner Anil Kumble, who captured 10 wickets in an innings against Pakistan in February.
The Indians hope these weapons will prevail against South Africa’s immense depth. ”The beauty of our team,” Cronje said on their arrival in Britain, ”is that there are quite a few options. Effectively we can field nine batters and seven bowlers. The opposition can never be sure quite what to expect.” — Reuters