Newlands to conquer in battle for the final frontier

Boosted by the return of Kohli, India can’t afford any slip-ups in the decider as they eye a maiden series win in South Africa

MUMBAI: The grassy banks have shrunken to make space for concrete, the wooden benches are no longer there, but the Newlands cricket ground remains a place where players look to break new ground. Between India’s last outing here in 2018 and this one, Shardul Thakur has replaced Hardik Pandya as all-rounder designate, to run in to bowl with the picturesque Table Mountain looming in the background. But the way the series is poised is reminiscent more of 2007 than 2018. Fifteen years back, the Cape Town Test became the series decider after the euphoria of India’s first Test win in South Africa was blunted by the loss in the next one at Durban.

On Tuesday, when a fit-again Virat Kohli stands for the coin toss, it will mark the beginning of an attempt to do what India has never managed to do--win a Test series in South Africa. After the high of the Centurion win was tempered by the Johannesburg loss, Cape Town is again the venue where the series may be decided.

India may possess a formidable pace attack, but when a host team finds inner steel and makes their local knowledge work for them, things can get very difficult. South Africa showed just that--with bat and ball--in the 2nd innings at Wanderers. Kagiso Rabada has enough miles on his legs and is threatening to explode. Young Marco Jansen has shown he already has the dare to bounce Jasprit Bumrah, yet keep a level head. Lungi Ngidi has been asking questions all along.

The Indian pace battery, who outperformed the home side in the first Test, didn’t have many wickets to show at Wanderers, except of course Thakur’s phenomenal 7-wicket haul. A wet ball may have contributed to lesser movement benefitting Dean Elgar, but India’s new ball duo of Bumrah and Mohammed Shami would still be hurting after losing the battle to the stubborn opener that resulted in South Africa chasing down 240 runs in the 4th innings.

Historically, the inconsistencies in bounce that were seen at the two venues at Highveld are less at play in Cape Town. Here it’s about movement. It was Vernon Philander, armed with his subtle variations, who ran through the Indian batting in 2018 in Cape Town. Bhuvneshwar Kumar was India’s lead wicket-taker. India could be tempted to pick the skiddy Umesh Yadav in place of the injured Mohammed Siraj. Kohli confirmed Siraj was “recovering and not match ready”. Yadav offers more swing and seam at higher pace, while veteran Ishant Sharma delivers from a slightly higher release point. Sharma’s last two Test outings at Headingley and Kanpur lacked menace and he returned wicketless.

Ravichandran Ashwin, who has had a quiet time so far, would be expecting greater help in Cape Town. Harbhajan Singh’s best away figures (7-120) were recorded here in 2011. “We have full faith that Ash will continue to play the role of a spinning all-rounder in any conditions that we play,” said Kohli in his pre-match press conference.

Vihari set to miss out

Yet, it’s not the bowling but batting form, or the lack of it, that’s India’s bigger worry. Kohli is set to replace Hanuma Vihari, who looked solid in the last Test, but somehow never seems to find a playing spot over a cluster of Test matches. Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane finally have some runs behind them. But they still need to do better. They fell in quick succession in the last Test to undo India’s hope of outbatting South Africa. In terms of big runs, only a KL Rahul hundred is holding India on level terms in the series.

With Rishabh Pant, we are back dissecting how he bats and his shot selection. “We have had conversations with Rishabh in practice. You know as a batter if you have played the right shot in the situation,” Kohli said of Pant’s unsuccessful hoick against Rabada in the 2nd innings at Johannesburg. “We have all made mistakes in important situations. It is important to understand what your mindset was in that situation. So long as you identify your mistakes, you won’t repeat them. Rishabh does reflect on his game. He will definitely improve and give a big performance to the team.”

Kohli’s lean run

Above everything else, India have truly missed Kohli’s batting. “Two-and-a-half overs of away-swingers, and then one back into him”--that was Philander’s recollection of getting Kohli out in the last Newlands Test. These days, whether it’s the tall Kyle Jamieson, veteran James Anderson, Sam Curran or greenhorn Jansen, everyone seems to find Kohli’s outside edge--without the drill of industrious spells.

“It’s not the first time. Let’s not get away from reality too much. England 2014 was one of those phases,” Kohli said when asked about his lack of runs. “The standards we are talking about that I am being compared with, have been set by myself. More than anyone else, I take a lot of pride in wanting to perform regularly for the team. You have to understand in sport, sometimes things do not go the way you want them to. I understand that as a batter. I am at peace with how I am playing and what I have been able to do when there is a tricky scenario.”

With the series on the line, one which had a tense build up with Kohli and BCCI being at odds over his removal as ODI captain, the underlying significance of this match cannot be overlooked. A win will make Kohli India’s first ever skipper to win a Test series in South Africa. When it comes to losing, the slippery slope is never far away in Indian cricket.

Going into the third and final Test, South Africa have a few positives to draw from their series-levelling win in Johannesburg. India, aiming to win their first Test series in SA, will hope to benefit from the return of skipper Kohli