Spin strength plays a vital role in determining the fortune of any team visiting the sub-continent. But the most vital cog in the spinning wheel of the visiting South Africans (Robin Peterson that is) is just a few matches old in Test cricket and he has been entrusted the responsibility of leading the spin attack.
Surely a formidable ask for a youngster; which becomes even more daunting when seen in the light of the failure of even Shane Warne in India. But that hardly seems to worry Peterson. "I know it won't be easy to bowl to the Indian batsmen, but I see it as an opportunity to find out how good I am," he said. "Eventually the game is played between the bat and the ball, not between the names. I will just try to keep the basics right without bothering who I am bowling to," he said. But won't lack of experience of Indian conditions be a handicap for him? "I don't think so, I have bowled in Sri Lanka and Pakistan and believe that the conditions would be pretty much the same here," he said, asking in the same breath "And aren't the Indian wickets a great help to spinners?"
How much of his optimism and confidence get translated into performance would be known in due course but supreme optimism of this left arm spinner in his abilities is shared by coach Ray Jennings and skipper Graeme Smith as well. That became evident when they did not play him against Board President XI in Jaipur.
{{/usCountry}}How much of his optimism and confidence get translated into performance would be known in due course but supreme optimism of this left arm spinner in his abilities is shared by coach Ray Jennings and skipper Graeme Smith as well. That became evident when they did not play him against Board President XI in Jaipur.
{{/usCountry}}Not to allow your frontline spinner to get used to the conditions would appear a blunder to many, but Jennings feels that Peterson will not require any time to get used to the conditions here. "We are quite confident about Peterson's abilities. We used the opportunity just to check out other players who would be required to bowl with him," said Jennings.