The Proteas took on a 2000km trek on Saturday morning, heading to the East of India, for today’s second T20 international, in Cuttack.
That, as much as anything, will be one of the side’s biggest challenges as they zigzag the cricket-mad nation for the next two months. In Dharamshala, high up in the mountains, almost closing in on the Punjab border with Pakistan, things were a lot cooler, fresher and calmer.
In Cuttack, they return to the constant din of noise that characterises India. The heat, too, is there, stifling and stubborn in its presence. Thankfully, for now, the T20 series is being played out in the evenings, when the brunt of the heat has died down.
This afternoon (7pm, Indian time) South Africa will play their second consecutive ‘new ground’ in India. They have never played an international match at the Barabati Stadium, though that made little difference in the first game, when they made themselves perfectly at home in the charming HPCA Stadium.
With the warmer climes in the east, the pitch in Cuttack is generally expected to take on a bit more turn, which would play into India’s hands.
First game centurion Rohit Sharma insisted that the long-held mode of attack against tourists is the way to go for the home side again.
“We have to play to South Africa’s weaknesses,” Sharma maintained.
“We know that they are not so good against the spinners, and we have learnt some more about their batters in the first game,” he pointed out.
Quite what Sharma meant by ‘not so good’ is up for debate, because JP Duminy’s brutal assault on the slow men – especially Axar Patel – suggested that he wasn’t so bad against spin, either. AB de Villiers was beaten in the flight by R Ashwin, but such is the Indian off-spinner’s repertoire, that you will eventually miss one.
The Proteas, generally, handled their first test with aplomb, and they have taken much confidence to what would be a series-clinching affair if they prevail today. One man who certainly has a spring in his step is Farhaan Behardien, who saw in the seven-wicket triumph with Duminy on Friday night.
In times gone by, the Titans middle-order man may have been held back until after David Miller. The left-hander is generally regarded as South Africa’s ‘finisher’, but a lean patch of form has seen him slide down the order somewhat.
At the same time, Behardien has found his feet, made some telling contributions, and showed the levelheadedness that got him to the big time in the first place. His knock on Friday (32 not out off 23 balls) was right out of the Mike Hussey book of sealing matches.
He knocked it around for ones and twos, and cashed in when the bowlers strayed onto his pads. There was no rush of blood to the head, as he gave further evidence that he belongs at this level.
In the aftermath of that win, Behardien’s thoughts have also turned to Cuttack. “We are not as high up here, so the ball won’t travel as far. We may have to run a lot more ones and twos,” he observed.The heat, too, will be a factor for the tourists, as it saps the energy even when one is just sitting, waiting for their turn in the nets. “It is a lot warmer here, so we will have to be smart with how we manage our energy.”
Having started so well, the Proteas are likely to go into the match with an unchanged side. - The Star