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How to beat South Africa in South Africa.

Filed under India's tour of South Africa.

L Shivramakrishnan - the former Indian leg-spinner/commentator/presenter asked Graeme Smith about how he feels about Indian team touring South Africa later this year...

Smith Said - "India is a formidable side. It should be a good series".

Which, to me, clearly shows that South African captain was more disappointed by his semi-final loss to West Indies in 2006 Champions trophy than being afraid of team India touring them. He certainly don't see us troubling them.

In fact, everyone who understands cricket should will feel the same way. Our team India should also know that they are the underdogs and work even harder to make a difference.

Following is a try of mine to make their job 0.01% easier.

A Look at South African bowlers :

I had the pleasure of watching Indian team battle against South African pace battery of Allan Donald, Shaun Pollock, Lance Klusner and all rounder Brain McMillan in that December 1996 tour of South Africa. And honestly, it was anything but a pleasure..!!

In the first innings of first test at Durban, our team (which included Sachin Tendulkar, Mohammad Azharuddin, new sensations - Allan Donald.jpg

Rahul Dravid & Sourav Ganguly, and comeback openers WV Raman with Vikram Rathod) were bowled out in 39.1 overs. And the second innings lasted 34.1 overs.

Even when Karnataka trio - Srinath, Prasad and Kumble bowled out South Africa for 235 and 259 respectively, our batsmen were not good enough to score one more run than them.

In fact, Indian second innings of 66 is the fourth lowest total ever by us.

This time around, there is no Allan Donald to terrorise with pace, but surely there are few bowlers whom our batsmen should mark :

Makhaya Ntini :

Runs all the way from cricket stadium to his hotel room at the end of 2nd day of any and every test match he plays...... Yes, that's a fact about Mkhaya Ntini. And another fact is that he practised quite a lot on cement wickets at the start of his career - that's why generated a bowling action which takes him away from the pitch, as he bowls.

All of his deliveries are directed across the left handers and in-to the right handers. You can say he is a bowling machine - with a set line length... but you will be a little wrong. Mkhaya Ntini has abundance of energy and he will keep coming back again and again - till his captain gives him a break.

If our batsmen (who should know he rarely gets LBW), can practice hard enough on that typical line that Ntini bowls - I am sure they will be f

ine.

Note - Makhaya Ntini seems a soft hearted boy. Never glares or comment at the batsmen. So I guess no problems there.

Shaun Pollock :

Has lost his pace, is more matured (read quite) and is mostly injured. The one thing in favour of this veteran is his experience. He knows whom to bowl, where to bowl and how. He is the only bowler in South African bowling lineup who can move the ball both ways.

What scares me is our batsmen not being scared of this man. Pollock is the slowest of them all and I am hoping our batsmen won't make the mistake of taking him lightly - only because he comes slowly on to the bat.

When you survive fast bowlers on fast pitches, you tend to get complacent when slower ones come - and look to hit boundaries. This shouldn't be done. I am not saying don't hit fours off Shaun - but select your balls carefully.

Andre Nel :

Two length bowler - either short or full. There is nothing in between for Andre Nel. All Indian batmen need to do is watch the length, duck for the short balls and play confident forward defensive shot for the full ones. Balls don't swing in South Africa. Not at least for Andre Nel.

What our batsmen should also be prepared for - is some jokes. Indian audiences may interpret Andre Nel as a very nagging/rude/taunting bowler, but he surely isn't. Andre Nel is a fun loving man of 30, who feels he gets rush of blood lot faster than others. In fact, he switches on a "blood pressure meter" in his wrist watch whenever he comes on to bowl - just to check how faster he is pumping blood.

As long as our batsmen will laugh at his face/words/mockeries, things should be fine.

Dale Steyn :

Young, raw, talented and unknown for Indian batsmen. That's how I see this 24 year old 5.7" in height bowler. Dale Steyn made a name for himself in the home series against England 2 years ago.

With a "very similar" action to Allan Donald, capability of generating 90 miles per hour speed to the cricket ball - Dale Sten will be the last man Indian batsmen will ask for after facing Ntini and Nel.

Playing International cricket is a high for anyone. But for Dale, it's little more than that and he gives it everything he has got whenever he gets a chance to bowl...... and falls on pitch quite a few times.

Note - Dale Steyn's speciality is his leg cutters to the right handers, which pitches on the middle stump, cuts just enough to miss right hander's defence and disturbs the off stump. I see Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman getting troubled with this steyn delivery - who at times get complacent to the ball on middle stump and look to hit towards the leg side.

Charl Langevedlt :

When it comes to test matches - Charl Langevedlt is the 5th choice fast bowler for South Africa. Means - he will be called only when one of above fast bowlers will be injured. And that won't be any good news for Team India.

With abilities to outswing both new and old ball, that too at a lively pace of 135 or more and 9 years of first class experience on South African pitches - Charl Langevedlt knows how to maintain a good line-length and wait for batsmen to make mistakes.

I see this man troubling us only when new ball bowlers will remove our top order. If Our Indian openers can negotiate initially, Langevedlt shouldn't be any problem.

Jacques Kallis - the bowler :

Kallis has a bowling action which depends heavily on his shoulder's strength. I am sure he aims at a spot to pitch the ball but rarely hits it. What Kallis does whenever bowls is to aim for the batsman and lets his shoulder's do the rest.

Kallis can swing odd balls, pitch some short and over-pitch some. I am sure he doesn't know what he will bowl next and that serves as his plus point. Even the batsmen is confused.

Nicky Boje :

Nicky Boje is one of those bowlers who whenever gets a wicket, both he and the batsmen wonder how that happened. Boje has 100 test match and 96 ODI wickets, but I can bet he hasn't bowled more than 50 wicket taking deliveries in his 11 years International career.

After every wicket that Boje gets, he celebrates it rather enigmatically - pretending that he surely did something special to take that wicket. But the fact is this left arm spinner is good for nothing, other than blocking one end. And that's how South African captain's use him - give no runs from Boje's end and rest his faster men from the other end.

If our batsmen don't get complacent against this part-timer, I don't see him taking a single wicket in whole of the series.

Did I say which of the bowler is the danger man. No. Because no one is. We are out there to play South Africa which comprises of 11 cricketers. And Indian team need to look at each of them as a danger and work as much harder for every single one.... if they want to win their first ever test match on South African soil... and hopefully their first ever test series win too.

The South African batsmen :

Graeme Smith :

When you are made the captain of your team at the age of 22, with only 1 year of International experience - you should be having some quality inside you that South African selectors discovered.

What are those QUALITIES... is not known till date, as Graeme Smith hasn't produced special results as yet. Having said that, Smith haven't done bad at all but now when he is marching South Afican player for last 3 years, he surely knows what he is doing.

And he is no soft man. He, to me, is very similar to Australian captain Ricky Ponting - mentally tough, leads from the front (being an opener) and never gives up. The only problem is he captains South Africa, not Australia.

While batting, Greame Smith will try to glance everything to the leg side or even force some pull shots to not so short balls. His basic idea is to keep scoring on the leg side and leave everything on off stump - till he feels confident enough to drive them.

The idea to bowl Smith out is with Munaf Patel. With immaculate line and length, Munaf should be able to trap this 6 feet 2 inches tall opener in front of the wicket. And if not, get Harbhajan in. South African's don't know how to play spin. Even when it doesn't spin...!!

Note : Australian's say - "don't let the captain make runs and half the battle is won".

Jacques Kallis :

I have had two batsmen as my favourites. Not only because of their batting style, but also for the way the shape up their innings. And guess what, both of them were South Africans. Darrell Cullinan was the first.

And now Jacques Kallis. Starts his test match innings very similarly to Sachin Tendulkar - leaving balls outside off stump, defending everything on stumps and waiting for leg stump balls to make runs.... before start driving the balls through off side.

I think our bowlers should bounce him a few times initially. Kallis seems a lay-back person these days, and I am sure he won't expect bouncer's from our not-so-fast, not-so-tall and not-so-experienced fast bowlers.

Note : Kallis has a thing or two for beauty queens. He has dated nearly every Miss South Africa till now and I am sure he will be interested in Aishwarya Rai, Priyanka Chopra or Sushmita Sen as well. It's time for our Miss World's and Universe's to flirt with this smart hunk, enjoy South Africa and in between - stop faking on Extraaa innings about how much they love Team India. It's time they provide an outside help.

Herschelle Gibbs :

It was year 2000 when Match fixing scandel broke out. Herschelle Gibbs nearly lost his place in South African team, but was saved by late Hansie Cronje. Cronje confessed to the "King commission" that it was him who asked Gibbs to get out cheaply and thus, all the blame should be on him.

Gibbs survived and if you watch your cricket carefully, Herschelle Gibbs wears 06 numbered shirt in ODI's. It started with 00 shirt in 2000, 01 in 2001 and now it's sixth years since that match fixing scandal. Thus 06 on Gibbs shirt.

Another thing you may notice about Herschelle Gibbs is that he never tosses the ball in the air whenever he takes a catch. This is

because he dropped Steve Waugh in that 1999 Cricket World Cup... trying to toss the ball in jubilation.

I don't think I need to tell our cricketers how Gibbs bats, but I am hoping that either Munaf - with his immaculate length or Irfan Pathan with his inswingers, will get us this wicket all throughout the tour. Mind you - Herschelle Gibbs is shaky to the balls coming in to him and has been bowled a number of times lately.

Ashwell Prince :

Considered as future captain of South Africa, this left hander has all that it takes to succeed in test match arena - Patience, good defence and ability to leave balls on the off stump.

I don't see Ashwell Prince making big scores against us... as long as our bowlers can get other batsmen out from the other end.

AB de Villiers :

I guess after Cullinan and Kallis, my next favourite batsmen is again going to be from South Africa. Although I haven't made up my mind as yet, Abraham de Villiers never fails to impress me with his shot making abilities.

With all shots in the book - drives, cuts, pull/hook and glances, I can't really find anything wrong with this young boy of 23 years and multiple talents. If you are telling me how about our spinners getting him out - I am not sure.

This young man played Muralitharan with amazing ease on Sri Lankan soil, just a few months back. I guess Anil Kumble will have some answers for us here..!!

Mark Boucher :

A fighter. And we need another fighter to beat this man's confidence. I am again not sure our medium pacers or guile of Harbhajan will be able to demolish this "one of the best" wicket batsman.

I think we again need Anil JUMBO Kumble here.

Shaun Pollock - the batsmen :

Gone are the days when this Nephew of South African great Graeme Pollock and son of Peter Pollock used to play long innings. These days, when he is nearly 33 and half years old, all he looks for his playing big shots and make quick runs.

Hits the ball straight and over the covers. Dangerous man as he can play spin quite well too.

Chinks in South African armour :

-:- Wickets conducive to stroke making :

It has to be said that our Indian batsmen are more capable of hitting boundaries than them. South African pitches may be fast, but they all have is"very true" bounce. And they rarely swing or seam. If a batsman can get his eye in - he can trust the pace & bounce and play shots accordingly.

The first, middle and last option for South African bowlers will be to try and bounce them. All they need is either to play pull/hook if they are good at it - like Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Wasim Jaffer or simply duck under them - for batsmen like Virendra Sehwag, Mohammad Kaif and VVS Laxman to an extent.

If two Indian batsmen will spend quality time on South African pitches, everytime in every single innings, I am sure we will be having enough runs to play with.

-:- Incapable of playing flighted balls :

South African batsman love pace on the ball. More the pace, more they love it. Don't fight fire with fire. The the reciprocal should be our game plan. I think we must play 5 bowlers everytime, with both Anil Kumble and Harbhajan so that Dravid can call them up whenever a South African starts making runs.

If not, Virendra Sehwag - the off spinner should be ready and should bowl as slow as possible. I mean really slow. Make South African batsmen watch the flighted ball, wait for it and I promise they will make mistakes.

That's how Shane Warne gets them out.

-:- Similarity in bowlers :

With not a single International level spinner, or even a left arm swing bowler - all South Africa has is a battery "right arm fast bowlers". So all you need to beat this team at home, is the ability to play right arm fast bowling. And that will be it.

Having said that, I very well know that the only thing our Indian batsmen can't do is to play genuine fast bowling. But then, when you know your problem, half the problem is solved. All they need is to work on the problem and get it fixed.

And there is no substitute for that.

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India's tour of South Africa.

India's tour of South Africa - The Schedule.

A history of India vs South Africa test matches

Indian squad for ODI series against South Africa

How to beat South Africa in South Africa.

Our batting must work in South Africa.

India vs South Africa series on ESPN & Star Sports.

All about "India vs South Africa 2006 Series".

Buy tickets for Ind v SA series 2006.

Team India lose to South Africa A.

Ind v RSA 1st ODI from 1800hrs IST.