There is a lot of suspense and speculation over the nature of the pitches that will be seen during the Test series between India and South Africa. A lot of the talk ahead of the first Test in Mohali is surrounded around the wicket at the PCA Stadium. Faf du Plessis reckons it will start turning from the first day and that the match will not last for all five days. Speaking on the subject, Ravi Shastri, Team India Director, said the home team should enjoy an advantage of playing in their own backyard.
“At home you should play to your strength and there is no need to hide behind that issue, ”Shastri said. “It has been happening over the years whenever teams have played in their own countries. It is something that you expect. Teams are doing that in all countries.”
With the talk on the pitch comes the discussion about the ideal bowling combination. Shastri said the decision to play four or five bowlers and the pace to spin ratio will strictly depend on the conditions they are faced with. “It is not about five or four bowlers. It is about having a balance that can get you 20 wickets,” Shastri said. “It depends on the pitch and weather conditions. In Sri Lanka we needed five bowlers because the heat was oppressive and we could only win that series because we had that additional bowler.
“One thing you’ll see with this side is that we will play positive cricket and look to play to win. We will not be intimidated by the opposition or their ranking. What we want to do for the next four-five years is look to take every game forward with an aim to win it. For that you need to get 20 wickets. How you get them depends on the conditions and your combination. If that means we play three or four spinners, so be it. Give me a pitch that turns from day-one and I will play four spinners.”
The Freedom Test series is touted as the marquee series of the year for India. South Africa are the top-ranked Test team in the world and for India this is their first home series after a couple of years. Shastri said it is the biggest home series for India since the historic 2001 Test series against Australia. “I see a terrific series on our hands here – probably the best that has happened in the last 10 years,” he said.
“I can’t remember a series as big as this since the 2001 Test series against Australia. This is a big opportunity for the boys to show their mettle. If they end up on the winning side, it will be a real achievement.
“The average age of this team is 25-26 and they have plenty of time on their hands. The best thing that’s happening to this team is that they are playing against the top teams in the world. If you play the best teams in the world when you are young, that’s when you learn the most.”
