Murali Vijay and KL Rahul, the two specialist openers from south, will open batting for India in the first Test at Cape Town starting January 5 in the series against South Africa. Delhi batsman Shikhar Dhawan, who injured his ankle, the same evening when India skipper Virat Kohli hosted his wedding reception in Mumbai, has been ruled out. Those in the know of things said the captain expressed his disappointment in Dhawan “not being careful” ahead of some hectic travel.
The team management, nevertheless, is not overtly worried about Dhawan missing out, considering Vijay is among the only three cricketers in this team that played the 2010-11 series in South Africa where they won the second Test in Durban by 87 runs.
While Dhawan has time until January 10 to recover and stay in contention for the second Test at the Wanderers, Johannesburg, Vijay and Rahul will now have to deal with the all-important task of denying the South African attack – consisting Morkel, Philander, Rabada and Steyn – any early initiative.
It is in this regard that Team India has successfully managed to pull off a strategy they have been trying to put in place on away tours for quite a few years now. The team management had specifically made a request – not for the first time – to be allowed to practice on the centre wicket, instead of the option of training in the nets.
The Indian team management, which is travelling with four extra pace bowlers to help them out in the nets, is focused on using the centre wicket to replicate match situations, which they think could be more useful than just playing local SA nets bowlers.
