South Africa look to hit back

Two star cricketers of the opposing teams, loved to bits by the Bengaluru public for obvious reasons will put their friendship aside as the second Test, weather permitting, gets under way from Saturday. Up 1-0 after pulling off a stunning three-day coup in Mohali, Indian captain Virat Kohli is confident of stepping on the momentum against the South Africans in what promises to be a show of tweak strength.

Pray, tell, who would have thought someone as unassuming as Dean Elgar would strike the first blow on the first day of the series? But that’s the way things have transpired in this short Test series thus far. Even as Kohli, 27, will walk into the ground that he considers his second home, his RCB team-mate and good friend AB de Villiers, a perennial favourite in the city, will mark a landmark 100th appearance for the Proteas, a no mean achievement as skipper Hashim Amla put it.

While overnight rains spread a pall of gloom, for the visitors the news that speedster Dale Steyn, not having recovered from a groin injury and being subsequently ruled out of the game hit them harder. Having lost Vernon Philander to a freak injury during training on Thursday, Steyn’s absence will hurt them most leaving their bowling in the hands of Morne Morkel, who is ironically coming back from injury himself. Fortunately for the Proteas, all-rounder JP Duminy is back in the mix and could be handy with his brand of spin.

For Kohli & Co. given their psychological advantage, it will add a spring to their steps in the knowledge that Steyn is out, especially considering his potential threat given the cloud cover over the city. But seldom has a team won with the presence or lack of a player alone; having said that, Kohli will be the first to welcome back Ishant Sharma, who sat out of the first Test owing to a one-match ban after the Sri Lanka series.

The lanky fast bowler, who was at his best in the Emerald Isles, came away with a bag of 13 wickets and is set to replace Varun Aaron in the eleven. In keeping with Kohli’s brand of aggressive cricket, Ishant fits the bill as does his six-bat, five-bowler theory, with his three spinners in R. Ashwin, Amit Mishra and come-back man Ravindra Jadeja, the key to success unless the conditions may push them to go in with three seamers and two spinners. Be that as it may, the Indian batsmen, save for Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara didn’t show their supple wrist-play on the Mohali surface but Bengaluru may be just what the doctor ordered except that forecast for showers during the Test may scuttle their plans.