IND vs SA: ‘I don’t think wickets are prepared to last five days’

With the debate on cricket pitches refusing to die down after the three-day finish in Mohali, South African off-spinner Simon Harmer echoed India's batting coach Sanjay Bangar's views by saying that Test match wickets are nowadays prepared to get results. 

Nagpur: With the debate on cricket pitches refusing to die down after the three-day finish in Mohali, South African off-spinner Simon Harmer echoed India's batting coach Sanjay Bangar's views by saying that Test match wickets are nowadays prepared to get results.

"I don't think the wickets are prepared to last five full days. The reason behind the preparation of the wickets is to get a result.

"When the Indian team comes to South Africa, we are going to prepare wickets that suit our bowlers. So them playing one seamer, it's clear to see what sort of wicket they are preparing," said Harmer after day one of the third and penultimate Test here on Wednesday.

Harmer picked up 4 for 78 and, in tandem with fast bowler Morne Morkel (3-35), helped South Africa pack off India for a paltry first innings score of 215 in 78.2 overs. In reply the visitors were 11 for two in 9 overs.

Bangar had also defended the wicket prepared for the contest by saying that it was a result-oriented wicket, which was the same for both teams.

Harmer said he took some time before getting the right pace to bowl, which he said was a bit faster than normal.

"I found it difficult to adjust to the right pace. I think I was a bit slow at the beginning of my spell. I wouldn't say I was struggling to adjust to lines or lengths. I think pace on this wicket was vital. At the beginning of my spell, I was just sort of trying to find my feet.

"Obviously you can't bowl one pace the whole time. But I felt that the quicker pace there was a bit more bite off the wicket. You saw a few balls spit. As a spinner that is what you are looking for," said the off spinner who got rid of Cheteshwar Pujara, Rohit Sharma, Wriddhiman Saha and Amit Mishra.

"When you bowl too slowly, a batsman can adjust and go back easily. Ideally you want a batsman to commit to a shot and I felt the best way to do that was to bowl a quicker pace," he explained further.

Harmer said the first Test pitch at Mohali was of similar nature to this one here at the VCA Stadium in Jamtha.

"Mohali was much of the same and at the end of the day, there are three innings left. It is going to be the same for our batters and for both teams throughout the Test match. It is challenging conditions but that's what playing in the sub-continent is all about."

He said he came to know that he would play after being left out of the second rained out Test at Bengaluru on Sunday.

"On Sunday, it was still three days away. You wanted to give it some time. So Russell (Domingo) chatted to me late yesterday afternoon and told me that I was playing."

He explained that the key to bowling here is not to try too hard for success.

"As a spinner, bowling here, the seamers are going to reverse a bit. The spinners will come into the game. I think the biggest thing is not trying too hard and I think there were stages when I did, and that's when I started leaking runs. But its just about finding a rhythm, a line and length that works and the pace.

"It's about keeping the batsmen thinking the whole time with field placements, your speed. I think that's the biggest thing." 

Coming here as a fast bowling unit we don't expect favours: Morne Morkel

Morkel Morkel said the final call on playing Dale Steyn, who picked up 10 wickets in South Africa's innings win over India at Nagpur five years ago, would be taken by the team's medical staff.

Nagpur: Injured South Africa pacer Dale Steyn bowled for a short while in the nets, raising hopes of him being included in the playing XI in the third Test here against India, but his fast bowling partner Morne Morkel said the team is keeping its fingers crossed.

Morkel said that while it was pleasing to see Steyn bowling in the nets on Monday, his progress would be monitored and a final call on including him will be taken on the opening day morning of the third Test at the VCA Stadium in Jamtha here.

"Dale bowled this morning. It was a pleasing thing for us to see. Obviously groin is a tricky sort of injury. So I think we will keep monitoring and give him 9 am on Wednesday to decide," Morkel told reporters.

Morkel said the final call on playing Steyn, who picked up 10 wickets in South Africa's innings win over India at this venue five years ago, would be taken by the team's medical staff.

"I think it will be a medical call. You don't want to select a bowler who could break down and upset the combinations. It's a bit of a tough one, but I know medical staff will take the right call," he said.

"Dale is dying to get out there, do his things. Fingers crossed," he added.

On Steyn's back-up Marchant de Lange, Morkel said: "He can be quite tricky to face. He's been busy with one-day competitions at home. Of late he's not played much of four day cricket, (but) he knows what to do."

Down 0-1 in the four-Test series, Morkel said South Africa, as a No 1 ranked Test outfit, must deliver in the upcoming must-win game.

"We are the No 1 Test team in the world. The dressing room atmosphere is very positive. The first Test could not go our way, but we are starting fresh on Wednesday. We are hungry to go and deliver the goods. We speak that language in the change room.

There are a lot of good memories (about this venue where Proteas won by an innings in 2010), but you have to put those things aside and focus on disciplined cricket. One has to be mentally tough. We are the No 1 Test playing nation. We need to show that. Whatever conditions, people have to put up their hands and take it on," he said.

"It's been tricky. We have had injuries throughout the tour (Steyn and Vernon Philander, who have gone back and JP Duminy who has recovered from a palm injury). But there are no excuses for us. We need to come in and play. Hopefully, we will have five days of good Test cricket," Morkel added.

Morkel said that the team was aware of the spin-friendly pitch conditions here as well. "Coming here as a fast bowling unit we don't expect favours. We knew we were going to get turners. The way we prepared was the key for us. From a personal point of view it's just (about) bowling well and if we can keep the pressure on the batters."

He said the team had the option to playing a second frontline spinner. "Definitely that's an option. We have to see. We have Simon Harmer and Dane Piedt," he said.

The pacer felt that the Proteas batsmen are capable of doing much better against the Indian spin attack than they have done so far in the three innings in which the score has not crossed 220.

"Our top-order (batsmen) are quality players of spin. They have not got the starts, unfortunately. They are preparing very well and doing the rights things. I am pretty sure their time will come. It's a matter of sticking to plans and grinding it out and try and bat deep," he said.

Morkel hoped that the out-of-form captain Hashim Amla, who scored a double hundred at this venue for a winning cause five years ago, to come good.

"Hashim is a rock for us. He's hungry to score runs. He's been hitting a lot of balls. Hopefully, his time he will come in this Test match."