Will Anyone Other Than AB de Villiers Stand up for SA in Nagpur?

South Africa have scored only 2 half-centuries in the three innings they have batted so far - both came off AB’s bat.

• India take on South Africa in the third Test at Nagpur starting Wednesday.
• Hashim Amla’s biggest concern will be his team’s poor batting performances.
  
• Just AB de Villiers and Dean Elgar have together scored more runs than the rest of the team put together.
• The South Africans have scored only 2 half-centuries in the three innings they have batted so far.

The 3rd Test between India and South Africa begins on Wednesday and the visitors find themselves under enormous pressure.

Pressure for more than one reason; South Africa are the top-ranked side in Test cricket, they are already trailing 0-1 in the series, and are staring at the possibility of their undefeated run on the road since October 2007 being brought to a halt.

Among the team’s many concerns is the form of their batting order, with the inexperience of most players in sub-continent conditions coming to the fore.

In the two Test matches so far, only two batsmen have shown they have the mettle to handle the relentless questions posed by the spinners: AB de Villiers and Dean Elgar. Between them, De Villiers and Elgar have scored more runs than the rest of the team put together.

De Villiers has the experience of playing in the subcontinent and against most of these bowlers, and hence he’s found his footing in the series. Importantly, he recalls his prior experiences when out in the middle and works out a method to get on top of the bowlers, bats with an aggressive frame of mind, uses his feet well and isn’t afraid to play a few shots in a bid to unsettle the spinners. Elgar on the other hand has applied himself fairly well, batting out significant amounts of time in both the Test matches, but has thrown it away after doing all the hard work.

In the three innings the team has batted in so far, they have collapsing cheaply – at the price of nine runs per wicket. In fact, the Proteas have posted only two half-centuries in the three innings – and both those half-centuries have come from the blade of de Villiers.

India’s Mantra: Spin It To Win It

The mantra India have employed so far in this series is straightforward; provide tracks that assist spinners, pack the side with spinners and give each one of them a long bowl.

Test cricket is about playing to one’s strengths, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with playing on tracks where the ball grips the surface, bounces off the turf and provides turn, even if it is from day one – as long as the degree of bounce and turn is consistent. Duminy said his team was aware of the opponent’s strategy and the need of the hour was to work a way out to keep the opposition at bay.

We understand that their strength lies in their spin and there’s no point in trying to deny that. It’s about having a game plan against it.

JP Duminy

In Mohali and Bengaluru, the Indian spinners hit the straps, landed the ball in the right areas and outsmarted the South African batsmen, accounting for 27 of their 30 wickets.

The visitors should prepare for a brown-looking and dry surface at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Jamtha, Nagpur. If recent history and reports emerging from the ground are any indication, spin will be a huge factor in the match yet again; in the two Ranji Trophy matches played at the venue this season, spinners accounted for 71% of the wickets picked up by the bowlers.

Duminy admitted that his team faced a huge challenge, but was confident of a better showing in Nagpur.

We always knew there would come a time when we would be challenged quite a bit. It’s how you come back from those challenges that is going to make us as a team. We pride ourselves on that - that we’re a resilient team, that we never back down from a challenge. We know it’s a tough challenge for us but we also know we have the capability of facing those challenges. We’ve done it before.

JP Duminy

The time for all the talking is nearly over; it is now time for execution. The first ball of the Nagpur Test match is scheduled to be bowled at 0930Hrs IST. The Quint will be providing live updates from the moment the two captains lineup for the toss at 0900Hrs IST.