Can India deliver counterpunch?

Cricket: India must win to square the series and keep the number one tag

Few teams are as formidable in their own backyard as India. Only two series losses in the last 23 years is an exceptional statistic, but unless Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s men play exceptional cricket at the Eden Gardens from Sunday, it is difficult not to see South Africa complete their second series triumph in this country in the last ten years.

The resounding innings and six-run loss at Nagpur earlier in the week has left India with too much to do in too little a period if they are to keep South Africa, also gunning for the hosts’ number one Test ranking, at bay. Going into the second Test, the momentum is with South Africa, notwithstanding injury scares to skipper Graeme Smith and stumper Mark Boucher, but if there is one unit resilient beyond belief in its own patch, it must be India.

As well as they have begun to travel, India at home have been a gathering force, riding on imperious batsmanship and incisive spin bowling.

Two years back, South Africa themselves were at the receiving end as they went into the final Test 1-0 up and were outclassed on a square turner in Kanpur.

The Eden won’t offer the Indians similar spinning joy, but with VVS Laxman back in the side and Harbhajan Singh back at a venue where he has had great success, India at full tilt will take some beating.

India can ill afford to sit back on the defensive and allow South Africa to make the play. It is imperative that Dhoni’s men come hard right from the beginning and sustain their intensity, because nothing short of concerted pressure will break this Protean outfit down.

No one exemplifies the strength of character of the visitors better than their skipper. Smith injured his left little finger on Friday morning and a fracture was detected late in the night, but a broken finger is hardly likely to keep the left-handed opener away from the cauldron of battle. Smith, who has in the past played through more serious injuries, tested his finger out at nets on Saturday afternoon, and it will come as a huge surprise if he doesn’t walk out for the toss with Dhoni.

Boucher took only cursory part at nets on match-eve, handing over the wicket-keeping gloves to AB de Villiers and leaving the field as what the Proteas are calling a ‘precautionary measure’ following a slight flare-up of the back injury that haunted him during the Nagpur Test.

India, needless to say, have not even one eye on the developments in the opposition camp simply because they themselves have so much to do. Gautam Gambhir’s twin failures set them back as much as anything else in Nagpur, but the left-hander has tried simulating Morne Morkel’s probing round the stump line at nets, and should offer greater resistance and value here.

Laxman’s return provides greater depth, solidity and confidence to a line-up which must perform to potential for the bowlers to have both the time and the luxury of runs with which to attack the South Africans.

There has been some talk of a Test debut for Suresh Raina mainly because he is a left-hander who will offer Paul Harris’ left-arm over a different challenge, but to blood Raina in a game as significant as this and particularly with S Badrinath having had a decent debut at Nagpur might not be the wisest move.

Nor will be the temptation to replace leggie Amit Mishra with left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha. Admittedly, Mishra went wicketless in 53 overs in the first Test, but on an average, he beat the bat at least once an over and was distinctly unfortunate not to pick up a bushel. A firmer surface with the promise of more bounce could be right up his sleeve.

S Sreesanth has had just eight overs of competitive bowling since recovering from a hamstring strain. Whether that is indication enough that he is back to full match-fitness and deserves a place ahead of Ishant Sharma is something else the think-tank will have to consider.

There are, though, no options when it comes to the result. Anything less than victory will mean a series lost, the number one spot surrendered.

Kolkata Dossier

* India have played 35 matches at Eden Gardens.  The hosts have won 8 of them while losing 8 and drawing 19.

* India have played South Africa twice at this venue, winning one Test and losing the other.

* India’s highest total here is 657 for seven declared made against Australia in 2001. India won that match by 171 runs.

* India’s lowest at Eden Gardens is 90 against the West Indies in December 1983, and the hosts lost that Test by an innings and 46 runs.

* VVS Laxman’s 281 against Australia in 2001 is the highest individual score for India. n Darryl Cullinan holds the record for the highest individual score for South Africa. The right-hander had made an unbeaten 153 on November 27, 1996.

* Javagal Srinath’s 8-86 against Pakistan in 1999 remains the best bowling effort of an Indian bowler at Eden Gardens. He also holds the record for the best bowling in an innings, the 13-132 effort in the same match.

* For South Africa that honour is owned by Lance Klusener who took 8 for 64.

* The fifth wicket alliance between Laxman and Rahul Dravid worth 376 in 2001 against Australia is the highest partnership for India here.
KR Gururaja Rao

Teams (from): India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt), Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Murali Vijay, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, S Badrinath, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Amit Mishra, Ishant Sharma, S Sreeasnth, Pragyan Ojha, Suresh Raina, Dinesh Kaarthick.

South Africa: Graeme Smith (capt), Ashwell Prince, Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Mark Boucher, Morne Morkel, Paul Harris, Dale Steyn, Wayne Parnell, Ryan McLaren, Alviro Petersen, Johan Botha, Lonwabo Tsotsobe.

Umpires: Steve David (Australia) and Ian Gould (England). Third umpire: Amiesh Saheba.