Cardiff: Drawn in what is
being dubbed as the Group of Death, India will look to carry forward the
form they exhibited in the tournament`s warm-up games as they lock
horns with South Africa in the Champions Trophy opener, which will be
their first match outside the sub-continent in 15 months.
With
every game a virtual shootout, both the former winners will be eager to
make a head start in the tournament which is being held for the last
time.
As World Cup champions, India will have more than
reputation to defend in the 50-over format contest. They have not played
a limited over international outside the sub-continent in the last 15
months but the two big wins in their practice matches against Sri Lanka
in Birmingham and Australia in Cardiff will give the Indian team
management a fair idea of the conditions to confront.
India will also look to put behind them the recent spot-fixing scandal surrounding the IPL.
Although
history never counts in international cricket, India have a good record
against South Africa in the Champions Trophy. India lead 2-0 in
head-to-head having won by 95 runs at Nairobi`s Gymkhana ground on
October 13, 2000 and by 10 runs at Colombo`s Premadasa Stadium on
September 25, 2002.
With two out of the four battle-hardened
teams qualifying for the semifinals, all matches in group B are expected
to be closely-fought affairs.
Except Pakistan, India, South
Africa and the West Indies have won the Champions Trophy at least once
each and hence more than just pride will be at stake in the last edition
of the tournament that began as the Mini World Cup in Dhaka in 1998.
South
Africa also arrive with a lot of reputation to protect. They are the
world`s No. 1 Test team but their ODI fortunes have been scratchy and it
showed during the one-off warm-up game they played against a talented
Pakistani attack on Monday.
At The Oval, South Africa lost by six
wickets and the defeat exposed the chinks in a batting line-up without
two solid customers, Jacques Kallis and Graeme Smith.
Most
captains have pooh-poohed their defeats in the practice games. The
15-a-side, bat and field 11 hybrid concept may be good for practice but
considerably waters down the competitive edge of a real contest.
South
African skipper AB De Villiers dismissed the Oval defeat saying: "It`s
not about the result, it`s about what you get out of it. I am sure each
guy will stand up when the time is right."
That time will come
tomorrow and India will be the first big hurdle. Fresh from the T20
Indian Premier League, most Indian players are quickly trying to adjust
to the 50-over variety. It`s been a test for application and temperament
and if the results in the two warm-up games are anything to go by, the
feedback is mixed.
When Mahendra Singh Dhoni stepped out of
Indian shores he said this Champions Trophy will be a test for the
team`s junior boys. While a few players automatically select themselves,
Dhoni indicated there were berths up for grabs. So far, one man has
guaranteed himself a slot in the playing XI and that is Dinesh Karthik.
With
back-to-back hundreds under pressure against Lanka and Australia,
Karthik is a virtual certainty but his batting position is a matter of
conjecture. Dhoni is reluctant to play him as an opener, but it is
almost certain that Karthik will gain a small promotion from his
customary No. 6 position.
"I am happy to bat at any position.
It`s up to the team to decide where I fit in," he had said after his
unbeaten 106 against Lanka at Birmingham on Saturday. On Tuesday,
Karthik scored a 140-ball 146 not out against a quality Australian pace
attack after coming in at a time when the Indian top order was back in
the pavilion for as less as 55 for five.
Dhoni was full of praise
for Karthik, who paced his innings very well in both practice games. "I
think he has earned his place in the side and we`ll just have to see
who misses out when we play against South Africa. I`d like him to play
at the top of the order but we`ll see," Dhoni said, probably hinting
Rohit Sharma may not be able to hold on to his No. 4 position after
scores of 5 and 10.
It is unlikely that India will disturb the
opening combination of Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan. Dhoni has been
insisting on this right-left duo ever since he flew out of India because
both have `Test` experience and thus the capability of playing long
innings, a must to give the middle-order the bandwidth to free their
arms in the middle and closing stages of the innings. Holding wickets at
the top will be vital.
Given the conditions at the Swalec
Stadium here, India will surely opt for five specialist bowlers. That`s
been Dhoni`s time-tested formula and with Umesh Yadav and Ishant Sharma
both making an impression against Australia, the pair should make the
cut. Bhuvneshwar Kumar`s ability to bat and also move the new ball both
ways should complete the three-man pace attack. Ravichandran Ashwin and
Ravindra Jadeja should be the two spinners.
South Africa are
sweating over Dale Steyn`s fitness. Against Pakistan at the Oval
warm-up, the world`s leading pacer sent down five lacklustre overs
before leaving the field holding his left side.
Although the
regulations of the warm-up games allow for players to leave the field
and return at a later stage, Steyn was not seen in action again.
Proteas
media liaison Lerato Malekutu said: "Steyn experienced some tightness
in his back, and is currently receiving treatment from the physio. He
did not bowl any further in the match as a precautionary measure."
South
Africa have to wake up to life with a Kallis and Smith. This pair have
been such rock-like figures within the Proteas batting unit for such a
long time that there are always fears that it could all come crumbling
down in their absence.
Much will depend on a Hashim Amla and J P Duminy and of course, their young and inspirational captain, A B De Villiers.
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