SA tighten noose as India seek reversal

After suffering their fourth straight Test defeat, India are hardly geared up to counter South Africa’s might. The team has been hit by several problems — Sachin Tendulkar’s move to stepdown as captain, Mohammed Azharuddin’s controversial recall, the team’s batting plight and the cricket board’s (BCCI) volte face over preparing “sporting pitches”.

The hosts, who recovered to draw the two-Test home series against Pakistan last year, will have to produce something special if they are to overcome the South Africans.

Tendulkar, who quits captaincy after this game, will been extremely keen to go out on a winning note. The master batsman, playing his 76th Test, is just five runs short of crossing the 6,000-run barrier.

On a Chinnaswamy stadium pitch expected to take turn from end of Day Two, India might have to omit a batsman if they plan to field three slow bowlers though Azharuddin and opener S Ramesh look certain to play.

The 37-year-old Azharuddin, seeking to return and play his 99th Test after seven months in the wilderness since the World Cup last year, has an excellent record against South Africa with three centuries.

“I am fully fit and raring to go,” said the wristy batsman, who suffered a chip fracture on the base of his right thumb playing for the Board President’s XI against the visitors to be ruled out for the first Test.

Hansie Cronje’s men, who lost the 1996-97 Test series to India 1-2, are oozing confidence and are determined not to allow Indian to square the series.

“This time around, we know we can really achieve that (Test series win),” Cronje said. “We have got the confidence and maturity. Obviously, the pressure is on Indians.”

“We are keen to keep the pressure on,” said Cronje, 30, who has led South Africa in 52 of the 69 Tests his country has played since it was reinstated to international cricket.

South Africa have been boosted by batsman Daryll Cullinan’s recovering from a groin strain that kept him out of the first Test. He is expected to replace the listless Peiter Strydom.

All-rounder Lance Klusener twisted his left ankle playing soccer on Tuesday but Cronje expected him to be fit to play.

After the first Test ended within three days, a debate has hotted up over pitch conditions for the series, especially after the cricket board’s (BCCI) reported direction to its pitch and grounds committee under former skipper K Srikkanth to stay away from match venues.

Srikkanth had assured sporting pitches and BCCI had empowered his panel to oversee pitch preparations. But BCCI’s return to old ways has apparently been done on grounds of providing “home advantage”.

Pitch curator, G Kasturi Rangan said the track will start taking turn towards the end of second day, a view shared by Cronje. India are expected to field three spinners, giving off-spinner Nikhil Chopra his first Test cap. Though Anil Kumble bowled well in Mumbai, left-armer Murali Kartik’s inexperience was evident at times and Chopra has never been a genuine tweaker of the ball, leaving their task cut out.

After the miserable failure of the opening pair which cost VVS Laxman his place, young Wasim Jaffer will open with Ramesh while Azhar will take Ajay Jadeja’s place in the team.

Ramesh has not played any cricket since suffering a thumb fracture fending an express delivery from Brett Lee in the second Test against Australia at Melbourne last December.

South Africa, for all practical purposes, play their first tie here and their only previous appearance was against Zimbabwe during the 1993 Hero Cup. Only 10 overs was possible on that occasion due to inclement weather.

Out of 12 Tests played at this venue, India have won four, lost three with five drawn. India lost their last Test they played here against Australia in the 1997-98 series.

India, desperate to mark a turnaround in their fortunes, will be striving to win ahead of the One-day series. “We all pray it stops here, and we start winning,” Saurav Ganguly, taking over captaincy from Tendulkar for the One-dayers, said. “If we score 300 to 325 runs on this wicket, I think we should win… It’s a good enough total.”

Coach Kapil Dev said, “The sooner we end this poor run, the better it is.” (PTI)