Given its reputation as a swing-and-seam-bowlers’ paradise, Faf du Plessis, South Africa’s captain, thought it an "amazing stat" that India had never lost a Test at the Wanderers.
What’s more, the tourists have won one and bossed another two of their four matches here, dating back to January 1993.
If it was Sachin Tendulkar’s superb 111 (out of 227) that allowed them to escape with a draw in that first game, it was batting heroics of Rahul Dravid (148 and 81) that so nearly set up a famous victory four years later, only for the combination of a Daryll Cullinan century, rain and bad light to give South Africa a reprieve.
Nearly a decade later, Sreesanth – “Be Good Sree, and not Bad Sree, and bowl on the fourth stump” was the advice from Greg Chappell, the coach – and Zaheer Khan swung and reverse-swung India to a memorable 123-run victory, one that was set up by a gutsy batting effort in difficult conditions.
In 2013, Virat Kohli, now India’s captain, made 119 and 96 as South Africa were set an unlikely 458 to win. But with the pitch easing up and R Ashwin going wicket-less, South Africa so nearly pulled it off, with both AB de Villiers and du Plessis making sensational hundreds.
India’s batsmen held their own on that last tour, except for one collapse in Durban, but it’s been a different story this time. Kohli aside, not one specialist batsman has tallied even 80. The biggest support for Kohli has come from the all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who smashed 93 in Cape Town, and R Ashwin, who’s played a couple of stroke-filled cameos.
For du Plessis, the intent is very much to ensure that the Indian bats are quieted again. With that in mind, and the pitch having healthy grass cover, South Africa may even go in with an all-pace attack. If Keshav Maharaj, the left-arm spinner, is benched, his place will be taken either by Theunis de Bruyn, the extra batsman, or Andile Phehlukwayo, a seam-bowling all-rounder.
That aside, Aiden Markram is fit to play after suffering a hamstring injury at Centurion, where he made 94 in the first innings. With Lundi Ngidi taking 7/90 on debut to ensure that Dale Steyn was hardly missed in the second Test, South Africa have barely missed a bowling beat. The pressure on India’s batsmen will again be relentless.
Few have any idea what combination India will go with. The opening combination hasn’t passed 30 in four innings, with both Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul tried alongside Murali Vijay.
Parthiv Patel didn’t have a great game with the big gloves in Centurion, and Dinesh Karthik, who has also barely kept in domestic cricket in recent times, comes into the equation now that Wriddhiman Saha, who Shastri calls the best in the world, has been ruled out.
There could be a change in the middle order too. Rohit Sharma has found run-making an ordeal outside India, and Ajinkya Rahane, one of those rare Indian batsmen with a better away average, could come into the fray.
And if India follow the South African lead and opt to go in without a specialist spinner, then Bhuvneshwar Kumar should play instead of Ashwin, who took five wickets at Centurion in addition to having five catches dropped off his bowling.
Kohli was again candid about where the series had been lost and promised that his batsmen would try and "rectify the mistakes" at a venue that has a special place in Indian cricket lore.
For du Plessis, the focus is on an unprecedented 3-0 victory, one that would take the Proteas within touching distance of India at the top of the rankings. It may be a dead-rubber Test, but there’s a lot to play for.
Kohli said as much. “It’s a chance for everyone to step up in times that have not gone our way and to change things around for us,” he said. “That will build characters, that will build individuals and that will build personalities. That can be a milestone for guys going forward if they can step up in this game and be the difference for us in this Test match.”
– African News Agency (ANA)
