Although the current South Africa team carries some lesser known names, India can be assured of a watertight game plan during the Test series thanks to coach Rahul Dravid’s style of functioning closely with the A team support staff.
In what has become their template, India started preparations for the South Africa series with three four-day games by the A team against the host board’s A side. “Most of their first XI players who played in the games against us
Although the current South Africa team carries some lesser known names, India can be assured of a watertight game plan during the Test series thanks to coach Rahul Dravid’s style of functioning closely with the A team support staff.
In what has become their template, India started preparations for the South Africa series with three four-day games by the A team against the host board’s A side. “Most of their first XI players who played in the games against us will either be part of the Test team or the one-day side,” said India A coach Sitanshu Kotak.
“Rahul bhai is always in touch during an A tour, his style of working is such that he doesn’t leave any gaps,” said the former Saurashtra batsman and coach, who has been with the National Cricket Academy for a long time now, this being his fifth India A tour as chief coach.
“On A tours, known as shadow tours, we look to give opportunities to all our players. The results are good but the purpose is not that. It’s not important that we always play the strongest side; all the players should get equal opportunities.
From their (SA A) team, five to six players are in the Test team.”
South Africa A fielded pacers Marco Jansen, Beuran Hendricks and Glenton Stuurman in the series and all are in the Test squad. Among spinners, India A got to face left-arm spinner George Linde and off-break bowler Prenelan Subrayen, who are also in the squad. Opener Sarel Erwee, who scored 75 and 97 in the third unofficial Test, is also there as back-up for skipper Dean Elgar.
“All three pacers were skillful, bowling in good areas. But the kind of exposure our players have, I don’t think Indian players are really concerned with playing fast bowling,” said Kotak. “Stuurman is quick off the wicket, as per the (flat) Bloemfontein track, left-armer Jansen performed well; he has a sharp bouncer. Hendricks, also a left-arm pacer, is very senior and is very consistent. Anrich Nortje is injured, so they will rely on these bowlers too during the series,” Kotak said. The 6ft 8in Jansen was in the Mumbai Indians IPL squad last season.
INDIA SHOULD WIN
“I feel India will win the series. We are missing the option of Ravindra Jadeja or Axar Patel, but R Ashwin is there, apart from our fast bowlers. I think we are a far better side.”
Kotak’s confidence also comes from the solid showing of his side in the three drawn matches against an SA side full of internationals. India A were unlucky not to win the series, narrowly missing out in the second game.
“In the second Test we were pretty close to winning. Only 280 overs were possible, and we needed only 79 to win with seven wickets in hand. If the weather had stayed fine, we could have. Nearly 80 overs were lost.
“The pitches were a bit flat at Bloemfontein, and in the third game the opportunity to create a result didn’t happen. Overall, it’s a great exposure for the players. (From the A squad) Hanuma Vihari and Priyank Panchal are in the Test side and four bowlers are staying back with the team.”
The player to benefit most from the series was Vihari. Ignored for the home series against New Zealand, the 28-year-old Hyderabad batsman scored three half-centuries—54, 72* and 63—to make it to the India Test side.
“Our India players are so confident; they are not affected (by selection concerns). When they play a match they focus on that only, their mind is not on the selection that is coming. Vihari was playing that way,” Kotak said. “His temperament is very good, he takes responsibility. If wickets fall he will build partnerships. A good team man, he made runs in every innings. He also got one or two poor decisions.”
BIO-BUBBLE LIFE
The series is being played amidst a rising infection rate of the Omicron variant of Covid which requires teams to live in a strict bio-bubble atmosphere. Cricket South Africa officials will take confidence from the incident-free hosting of the A series.
“We travelled by chartered flight, and once we entered the hotel we didn’t come out of it. (It was) just hotel to ground and back. The BCCI office would regularly call the team manager to find out about the situation. I think, what he said was “it is nice and safe”. We didn’t feel at risk at all. It was very well organised.”
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