The two-match Test series between India and South Africa set to commence at the SuperSport Park in Centurion on Tuesday promises to pit two of the strongest teams in red-ball cricket against each other. The two sides have completed the T20 and One-Day International (ODI) series, each comprising three games, before the Test matches. While the T20 series was split after the opener was washed out, the hosts went down 1-2 in the ODIs. Thus the stage has been set for the battle royal in the longer duration matches, where both sides appear evenly poised.
This is the ninth time that our national squad is visiting this country to play Test matches, while South Africa have toured India on seven occasions for this purpose. The first ever visit undertaken by the Proteas, after the ban imposed by the International Cricket Council was revoked in 1991, was to India but on that occasion, they played only a three-match ODI series. Further, Indians were the first visitors to this country to play Test matches since their readmission to international cricket. The fact that there have been so many tours by both sides during the last three decades indicates not only the close relations shared by the cricket administrations of the two countries but also the intensity of the contests on the field, which lends the clashes an extra flavour.
It took India 14 years to win a Test match in South Africa, which shows the difficulties faced by touring sides to best the hosts in their home territory. On the other hand, South Africa managed to win the second Test that they played in India (at Kolkata in 1996). They also won the two-match series 2-0 under Hansie Cronje in 2000. Thereafter, the best that either side could manage to date is a drawn series each on foreign soil, in the first decade of this century, which only serves to underline the challenges faced by touring teams while touring India and South Africa. In fact, South Africa have not won a Test in India since their victory at Nagpur in February 2010.
The lack of a Test series win in South Africa makes this truly the proverbial 'Final Frontier' for the Indian team. India have recorded victories in the Test series against all other countries, including Australia and Pakistan, which are traditionally considered bastions to conquer. However, they have not been able to run a sustained campaign during the previous visits despite winning one Test during all their visits since 2006 (except during the series in 2013-14).
What are the factors that make the conquest of South Africa a difficult one? During the 1990s and early years of the present century, it could be said that South Africans capitalised on the home advantage by preparing pitches conducive to their fast bowlers. Fast bowling was an area where they held a distinct superiority as they could boast of top-class performers in this category such as Allan Donald, Shaun Pollock, Makhaya Ntini, Dale Steyn etc. But from 2006 onwards, India also started having in their ranks fast bowlers who enjoyed bowling in the pitches here, which made it an almost level playing field in this area. Further, after the advent of the Indian Premier League, Indian batsmen started facing the top fast bowlers of the world regularly, which helped them hone their technique and skills and made them more adept at tackling pace bowling. Gone are the days when sides used to prepare green tops or hard bouncy surfaces to scare the Indian batsmen. Any side attempting such tactics will do only at their peril as India have, in their ranks, fast bowlers who can make better use of such pitches and batsmen who are not daunted by these challenges.
India, under Rohit Sharma, present a balanced side on paper with a healthy mix of youth and experience in their ranks. Skipper Rohit and veteran Virat Kohli are among the best batsmen in the world at present and they will form the cornerstone of Indian batting, along with Shubhman Gill, Shreyas Iyer and K L Rahul. India can boast of having two top-quality spin bowlers - Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja - who can also contribute substantially with the willow. The fast bowling line-up will be led by Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj with Shardul Thakur and Prasidh Krishna expected to provide the required support.
The visitors faced a minor setback as Mohammed Shami pulled out of the side due to an ankle injury that did not heal on time. Ruturaj Gaikwad also was forced to return home due to an injury suffered in the ODI series. In all probability, the team may be forced to field four fast bowlers, given the fact that pitches at the SuperSport Park, and Newlands, Cape Town, where the matches are to be held, traditionally offer help to the speedsters. In the event of this happening, Jadeja might get the nod ahead of Ashwin, given his credentials with the bat as well as on account of his better returns on foreign soil. The statement of Rahul that he is willing to keep wickets in Test matches will help to give greater depth to the Indian batting, besides giving the team management more options while finalising the playing eleven. Rahul has grown in confidence as a wicketkeeper after his near-flawless performance during the recent ICC World Cup. Besides, the absence of turning tracks and lesser dependence on spin bowlers will make the job of a stumper easier, thus negating the need for a specialist in this role. If Rahul dons the gloves behind the stumps, it will pave the way for Yasaswi Jaiswal to find a place in the batting order.
This tour promises to be a critical one for the likes of Jaiswal and Iyer. Jaiswal stormed into the national side based on excellent performances in the domestic circuit and had a dream debut against the West Indies where he struck a century on his Test debut. Iyer too had started his Test career with a century, but was bogged down by injuries, which limited his appearances in this format to a mere 10 games over three years. Facing the South African pace attack in home conditions will be vastly different to tackling bowlers on slow wickets at home where the ball does not rise above knee level or taking on mediocre trundlers in the West Indies. Successfully surmounting the challenges posed by the conditions in South Africa will not only fortify their technique but strengthen their mental prowess as well.
South Africa are justifiably proud of their unvanquished status against India at home and the Proteas can be expected to go all out to preserve this. Temba Bavuma, who has been leading the side since 2021, made history by becoming the first cricketer of “non-white” origin to be appointed to this post. They have experienced players in Dean Elgar, the left-handed opening batsman, Kagiso Ramada, one of the fastest bowlers in the world and Keshav Maharaj, a left-arm spinner with unmatched mastery over his craft. The presence of Gerald Coetzee and Lungi Ngidi, both exciting pace bowlers, lend a sharp edge to their attack, while Aiden Markram and Bavuma bring solidity to the middle order. The side is also in the process of rebuilding and will be looking at blooding new talent into the world of Test cricket during this series.
One image that always comes up whenever the topic of an Indian side playing Test cricket in South Africa is discussed is that of S Sreesanth performing a war dance in the match at Johannesburg in the 2006-07 series. Sreesanth was an aggressive fast bowler who had the habit of staring at opposing batsmen and mouthing the occasional expletive. This irked the South Africans who saw Indians as a nice and docile lot, not given to displays of aggression. And their fast bowlers, in turn, made known their plans to target Sreesanth with some intimidatory bowling. But Sreesanth had other ideas and ran through the South African batting to dismiss them for a paltry score of 84 in the first innings of the opening test, where he picked up 5/40. When he came to bat in the second innings, the South Africans and especially their fast bowler Andre Nel gave him the lip liberally. Sreesanth was not perturbed by this unfriendly reception and calmly stepped out and flat-batted a delivery sent by Nel over long off for a sixer! Even as a shocked Nel stared openmouthed at the ball that was sailing into the stands, Sreesanth did a jig around the bowler to rub in the insult!
This incident will remain etched in the minds of all those who witnessed it. To this writer, this was the moment when India announced to the cricketing world that we were no longer a side that could be terrorised by the threat of intimidatory bowling. The fearlessness displayed by Sreesanth in bowling bouncers at South African players and the audacity shown by him in standing up to their fast bowlers and striking the ball out of the ground instilled a huge sense of pride in fans of this sport in India. All the insults suffered in the past when Indian batsmen were sniggered at as ones who backed away when confronted with speedsters and the taunts about the inability of our bowlers to retaliate in equal measure were wiped off for good at that instant.
Thank you, Sreesanth, for this act that filled our chests with pride! And good luck to Rohit and his boys in their quest to breach the 'Final Frontier'.
(The author is a former international cricket umpire and a senior bureaucrat)
