India must crack 26-year hoodoo

FOR India to clinch the ODI series against South Africa at St George’s Park tonight they will need to crack a winless streak dating back to 1992. India, who lead the six-match series 3-1 going into today’s penultimate fixture, have never won an ODI in Port Elizabeth in five attempts. Of the 46 other matches against all opposition and at different venues around South Africa, India have managed 20 wins and 22 losses. Those five losses at St George’s included a defeat to Kenya in 2001, while their most recent slip-up against South Africa came in 2011, when the Proteas won by 48 runs. India captain Virat Kohli made 87 not out in that particular match, but the home team won by the Duckworth-Lewis Method. But since that last victory over India in PE in 2011, the Proteas have won three and lost three ODIs at the country’s oldest test venue.

Their two most recent performances here produced victories over Australia in 2016 and Sri Lanka last year.

But history and statistics aside, this is a strong Indian side and fielding coach Ramakrishnan Sridhar said yesterday they were determined to clinch a historic series win at St George’s Park today.

“We are really upbeat. We have the confidence taken from the first three wins in the series. We know our game plans,” Sridhar said.

He said the Indians had not read too much into South Africa’s rain-affected victory in Johannesburg on Saturday.

“You see when the game gets reduced and the overs are reduced, the skill levels between both teams are also reduced. So, yes, there is a lot of confidence in the dressingroom.

“As they say, one swallow does not make a summer. We will come back [today] with a solid game plan.”