The Teacher Kingsmead

If there is one thing that amazes me about Kingsmead, it is the way the conditions change once the floodlights come one. We witnessed South Africa drubbing India by 135 runs after they batted first and put on 289. Coming from the highs of the test series and the solitary T20, the Indian team were found wanting in tough conditions. History teaches us that chasing in Durban isn’t the easiest thing. Indian fans will be familiar with a few matches that India have won batting first at this ground like the 2003 game against England where Nehra got a 6 for, and the 3 crucial games of the 2007 ICC World T20 against England, South Africa and Australia. The outfield for yesterday’s game was really slow due to the overnight rain and it didn’t help the batting side at all.
Leaving all this aside, I believe India could have batted a lot better. Rohit Sharma and Dhoni were unlucky to get out the way they did, but the others could have really taken the initiative. I think India missed the trick somewhere when they included Murali Vijay as a cover when Sehwag was injured. He was given quite a few opportunities prior to this game and didn’t convert the good starts he got into big ones. In the three games against New Zealand he got to the 30’s and then got out. The selectors should have opted for someone like Parthiv Patel, who I think kept cleanly in the home series against New Zealand and also got two good fifties. Had he been selected, there would have been a back-up wicketkeeper in the squad. The selectors are looking to settle the squad of 15 for the World Cup and for that they should have kept in mind a reserve wicketkeeper.
I am of the opinion that India can change their batting order a little for the next game at the Wanderers. Murali Vijay should make way for Yusuf Pathan and maybe a Rohit Sharma or a Virat Kohli be made to open the batting with Sachin Tendulkar. What is missing is the start that Sehwag provides. It is very difficult to fill in the shoes of Sehwag but someone has to support Tendulkar who is mainly going to play the anchor. Yesterday, he got out playing the risky shot, and it was all due to the pressure created due to the dismissal of Vijay very early. If Dhoni want to take a chance, then he can even send Pathan to open the batting. He took that chance in the T20 final, didn’t he!!!! Why not try it again? It may or may not work, but someone has to provide a quick knock at one end so that Tendulkar can hold the innings together like he usually does. If the other opener is able to that then India can see themselves putting up a very good total as Sachin also goes along at a very good strike rate.
The next game is at Johannesburg, where the conditions are very different from that of Durban. We move up the Highveld, which is at an altitude. Thus the air will be thinner and the movement under lights will be much lesser. Meanwhile, Dhoni and the rest of the Indian think tank have to work out a solution to the problems they faced in Durban. It will be really nice to see India pulling this one off and leveling the series.