CAPE TOWN: India’s status as the world’s best Test team is set to come under fierce scrutiny when they come up against their closest-ranked rivals South Africa in a three-Test series which starts at Newlands on Friday.
South Africa will be banking on their formidable fast bowling attack to dismantle India’s strong batting line-up. India, however, are coming off the back of nine successive series wins and will be brimming with confidence — and a strong belief that they can thrive in any conditions.
Six of India’s winning series were played at home and the others — two in Sri Lanka and one in the West Indies — were in conditions where fast bowling was not a major factor.
The last time India lost a series was when they were beaten 2-0 in Australia in a four-match contest in 2014/15 but it was a series which showed India’s batsmen could stand up to raw pace on hard, bouncy pitches.
They scored more than 400 in each of their first innings, losing the first two Tests before drawing the last two.
“The tour to Australia is the one that laid a great foundation for this team,” said Indian captain Virat Kohli during his arrival press conference last week.
Kohli hit four centuries in that series and it marked the start of his captaincy, initially in a stand-in capacity in two of the Tests in Australia but afterwards on a full-time basis when Mahendra Singh Dhoni retired from Test cricket.
India have a poor record in South Africa, losing five out of six series with one drawn, and winning only two out of 17 Test matches against eight defeats and seven draws.
Significantly, though, they have pushed South Africa hard on their two most recent tours, in 2010/11 and 2013/14, sharing the first series and narrowly losing the second.
Thirteen of the 2013/14 tourists are in the current party and they are a vastly more experienced squad who have become accustomed to winning.
Both teams have selection dilemmas.
South Africa have to make room for returning captain Faf du Plessis in their batting order and will have to decide on their best bowling line-up.
Fast bowler Chris Morris will vie with medium-pacer Andile Phehlukwayo as an all-rounder to augment an expected pace attack of Morne Morkel, Vernon Philander and Kagiso Rabada.
India have to choose between Lokesh Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan as an opening batting partner for Murali Vijay, while in pace-friendly conditions there may be room for only one specialist spinner, meaning that one of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, a match-winning combination in India, could miss out.
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India to face scrutiny of Test credentials on South Africa tour
India to face scrutiny of Test credentials on South Africa tour
Sabalenka wants ‘Battle of the Sexes’ rematch and revenge
- World number one Aryna Sabalenka Thursday said she wants a rematch of her “Battle of the Sexes” showdown with Nick Kyrgios so she can get revenge
BRISBANE: World number one Aryna Sabalenka Thursday said she wants a rematch of her “Battle of the Sexes” showdown with Nick Kyrgios so she can get revenge.
Australia’s Kyrgios beat the Belarusian 6-3, 6-3 in a highly-publicized showdown in Dubai last Sunday, with modified rules that divided fans.
Sabalenka’s side of the court was reduced in size by nine percent in an attempt to restrict Kyrgios’ power and speed advantage, while each player only received one serve.
“I think I would definitely do it again,” she said ahead of the Brisbane International, her season-opening tournament as she prepares for the Australian Open on January 18.
“I love revenge and I don’t like to leave it the way it is.”
While keen to face-off with Kyrgios again, Sabalenka said she would want a full court and two serves.
“I think for the next match we will come up with a different format,” she said.
“Before the match I didn’t realize I would have to adjust and it was a bit tricky for me. I think I would keep the full court but I would take two serves. That would even our level a lot more.
“I always say that when you are losing, you are learning and I learned a lot about his game,” she added. “I would do it again. I need revenge.”
The contest bore little resemblance to the era-defining 1973 “Battle of the Sexes” encounter between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs.
Back then, there was more at stake with the nascent women’s professional tour, set up by King, fighting for legitimacy and prize money for female players far lower than for the men.
King, one of the all-time greats of the women’s game who was at the peak of her powers, saw off the 55-year-old Riggs, a top player in his day, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 in Houston.
The Sabalenka-Kyrgios showdown faced backlash, with some calling it a “money grab” while others said it did little to advance the women’s game.
But Sabalenka said she felt exhibition tennis, like the Kyrgios contest, was important.
“I think it’s really important for tennis to keep it interesting, keep it fresh, keep it new, keep it fun,” she said.
She added that she was proud of her part in the “Battle of the Sexes,” despite Kyrgios barely playing in recent years and ranked a lowly 671.
“I am happy that I was able to challenge him, make him work and make him physically get tired and mentally get tired,” she said.
“I felt really excited to see a man getting tired and going for his full game. It was a really cool experience.”
The Brisbane International starts on Sunday with Sabalenka’s sights set on a third Australian Open title after winning in 2023 and 2024. She was beaten in the Melbourne Park final last year by Madison Keys.
Australia’s Kyrgios beat the Belarusian 6-3, 6-3 in a highly-publicized showdown in Dubai last Sunday, with modified rules that divided fans.
Sabalenka’s side of the court was reduced in size by nine percent in an attempt to restrict Kyrgios’ power and speed advantage, while each player only received one serve.
“I think I would definitely do it again,” she said ahead of the Brisbane International, her season-opening tournament as she prepares for the Australian Open on January 18.
“I love revenge and I don’t like to leave it the way it is.”
While keen to face-off with Kyrgios again, Sabalenka said she would want a full court and two serves.
“I think for the next match we will come up with a different format,” she said.
“Before the match I didn’t realize I would have to adjust and it was a bit tricky for me. I think I would keep the full court but I would take two serves. That would even our level a lot more.
“I always say that when you are losing, you are learning and I learned a lot about his game,” she added. “I would do it again. I need revenge.”
The contest bore little resemblance to the era-defining 1973 “Battle of the Sexes” encounter between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs.
Back then, there was more at stake with the nascent women’s professional tour, set up by King, fighting for legitimacy and prize money for female players far lower than for the men.
King, one of the all-time greats of the women’s game who was at the peak of her powers, saw off the 55-year-old Riggs, a top player in his day, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 in Houston.
The Sabalenka-Kyrgios showdown faced backlash, with some calling it a “money grab” while others said it did little to advance the women’s game.
But Sabalenka said she felt exhibition tennis, like the Kyrgios contest, was important.
“I think it’s really important for tennis to keep it interesting, keep it fresh, keep it new, keep it fun,” she said.
She added that she was proud of her part in the “Battle of the Sexes,” despite Kyrgios barely playing in recent years and ranked a lowly 671.
“I am happy that I was able to challenge him, make him work and make him physically get tired and mentally get tired,” she said.
“I felt really excited to see a man getting tired and going for his full game. It was a really cool experience.”
The Brisbane International starts on Sunday with Sabalenka’s sights set on a third Australian Open title after winning in 2023 and 2024. She was beaten in the Melbourne Park final last year by Madison Keys.
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