India will start as favourites to wrap up the series after South Africa’s pace spearhead Dale Steyn was sidelined again for the third Test which starts in Nagpur on Wednesday. “But we have some good reserves, and hopefully if they get a chance, they will stand up”. India are leading the four-match series 1-0 after winning the first Test in Mohali. So you’ve got to take things in perspective. He has played 81 Tests, taken over 400 wickets and is still the top-ranked Test bowler in the world. They’re monitoring it and give him till 9 O’clock on Wednesday morning to decide.
Advertisement
Amla’s own poor form with the bat will worry the tourists after he made 43 and 0 in the first Test and seven in the rain-ruined second game in Bangalore.
Morkel has played 65 tests for the Proteas and picked up 218 wickets at an average of 29.76.In 103 ODIs he has picked up 176 wickets at an average of 23.98.
“If I can keep the pressure on the batters while the spinners are toiling away and then hope to get one or two myself, that will be ideal”, he said. Hopefully the runs are still to come in the next two big matches to deal with. We need to play good disciplined cricket, we need to be tough regardless of what the conditions throw at us, we have to be in a mentally good place.
The pitch at Nagpur is much drier this time and if recent domestic matches are any indication, another short match is in the offing. He said the team had the option to playing a second frontline spinner.
“If I was playing against them, I would find it really hard to score off them”, he said. “I’m sure it’s not pleasant facing all three together”, Kohli said.
“I don’t know why there is hue and cry about the wickets in India”, India captain Virat Kohl said on Tuesday.
“I think being down certainly makes it a must-win game for us if we want to win the series”. “The issue has been more with the lack of runs than the lack of wickets”.
The Proteas batsmen have come a cropper against the Indian spin attack and asked about the wicket prepared for the third game, Amla remarked wryly, “Well, it looks like a good cricket wicket, one that we kind of expect in the sub continent”.
Advertisement
“That has been the big strength for us over the last couple of years and that is how we achieved success in India in the past”.
