The battle between the number 1 and the number 2 promises to be an absorbing contest. As some say, this might be the best chance for India to win a series in South Africa. Though my heart says that India will win, the head says India might just lose 1-2.
Batting is the strength
The Indian batting line up is probably the best in the world - definitely, when Virender Sehwag gets going. With Gautam Gambhir back to form, the top order looks quite solid. Suresh Raina is the weak link in the batting line up and honestly, I don't think he will survive the 3 matches. In the third test, we might just see Cheteshwar Pujara replacing him. Dhoni's batting form will also be very crucial, especially how he plays with the tail. Rahul Dravid showed glimpses of his old self in his 191 in the series against New Zeland, but an attack consisting of Dale Steyn on South African pitches is a different proposition altogether. In spite of all these, I would still bet on Indian batting to come good. These are proven performers and the fact that this tour might be the last chance for seniors like Sachin, Dravid and Laxman to win in South Africa, will spur them up.
Bowling is a worry
The reason I think India will lose 1-2 is because of bowling. Zaheer Khan is a dependable bowler and we can expect him to perform well and strike a few early blows, but the problem is with the back up. Ishant Sharma has been inconsistent ever since his dramatic entry into the Indian side. Sreeshant has also had an up-down career so far. Nobody knows who is going to be India's fourth seamer (Udankat? Munaf?).With such a scenario it is difficult to believe that India bowler's can take 20 wickets in two of the matches. If you look back the last decade, India always had one, or sometimes two, very good fast bowlers, but very little back up and that has been India's undoing all these years. Coming to Harbhajan, I think South Africans will play him very easily and it will be difficult for him to make an impact. Over the last decade, South Africans have improved their play against spin and with players like Amla, Prince and AB in their ranks, who are excellent players of spin, Harbhajan will have a tough time.
Sreeshanth Ishant the key
Whether India will lose the series 1-2 or win it 2-1 will depend on how Sreeshanth and Ishant bowl. If they support Zaheer Khan well and occasionally bowl those brilliant spell of bowling which we know they are capable of, then India has a good chance of creating history. However, if they are back to their inconsistent self and maintain their current bowling average, then great players like Sachin and Dravid might just end their careers without a series win in the land of Nelson Mandela.
No comments:
Post a Comment