Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly is confident his spin-bowling attack will see off the South African challenge when the first Test starts on Saturday on a turning Green Park pitch.
Ganguly is banking on India’s traditional spin strength to deliver the home side their first Test victory over South Africa in eight years — at the same venue where India last secured a series-clinching win in 1996.
”The pitch is good for spinners, it will definitely turn. Any team coming to Indian should be prepared for this,” Ganguly said on Friday, after being permitted to play in this match while his appeal against a two-match suspension is being studied by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Ganguly was handed a two-Test suspension by ICC match referee Clive Lloyd as a penalty for India’s repeated violation of the minimum bowling over rate. India was most recently guilty of a slow over rate during last week’s limited-over international against Pakistan.
Ganguly has appealed against the ban, and the ICC procedures stipulate a player is allowed to feature in international matches until a decision is made.
The Indian team, despite the recent 2-1 home series loss to Australia, have more Test match experience than the young South African outfit. But what makes South Africa’s task tougher is their players’ non-familiarity with India’s dusty, low-bounce tracks.
Only former skipper Shaun Pollock and all-rounder Jacques Kallis have played a Test match on Indian soil, while top-order batsman Boeta Dippenaar and pace bowler Makhaya Ntini are the only others to have played a Test against India.
South Africa captain Graeme Smith concedes India are the overwhelming favourites, but says that has provided motivation for his team.
”A look at the statistics backs India’s claim as the series favourites, but the young South African side are highly motivated to prove people wrong,” said Smith, bracing for his first Test outing against India.
”We have a young side, not a weak side,” Smith said. ”Youthful exuberance is our strength, and we have the ability to perform.”
South Africa have won three of the five Tests they have played on Indian soil, including the 2-0 series triumph in the last contest in India four years ago.
India prevailed 2-1 in the three-Test series in 1996 after winning the final Test in the northern city of Kanpur.
”Touring the subcontinent is always a huge challenge, and we’ve come here with a game plan,” said Smith.
Smith’s plans include smothering India’s spin advantage, but his batsmen appeared in trouble during a warm-up game against a second-string Indian attack, where it narrowly survived defeat against the Board President’s XI.
”Jaipur was a good reality check for us … The boys know what we’re trying to achieve,” Smith said. — Sapa-AP
The teams:
India (from): Sourav Ganguly (captain), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Mohammad Kaif, Dinesh Karthik, Irfan Pathan, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Murali Kartik, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra.
South Africa (from): Graeme Smith (captain), Boeta Dippenaar, Jacques Kallis, Jacques Rudolph, Justin Ontong, Martin van Jaarsveld, Hashim Amla, Andrew Hall, Shaun Pollock, Robin Peterson, Thami Tsolekile, Makhaya Ntini, Zander de Bruin, Alfonso Thomas.