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.
India to face scrutiny of Test credentials on South Africa tour
India to face scrutiny of Test credentials on South Africa tour
Barcelona blitz Athletic Bilbao 5-0 to book place in Super Cup final
- Catalans turn uncertainty into complete control with breathtaking 16-minute spell that saw them race into a four-goal lead before the interval
- Raphinha struck again early in the second half, once more exploiting space down the flanks to extend the lead to 5-0
JEDDAH: It did not look like the easiest opening 20 minutes for Barcelona in Jeddah during their encounter with Athletic Bilbao. Yet in a breathtaking 16-minute spell, the Catalans turned uncertainty into complete control, racing into a four-goal lead before the interval.
More than 50,000 fans packed the Al-Inma Stadium in Jeddah to witness the spectacle, although the likes of Marcus Rashford and Lamine Yamal were rested, allowing opportunities for youngsters like Roony Bardghji and Fermin Lopez.
Lopez would emerge as one of the standout performers of the night. While his threat inside the box was evident, it was his creativity that truly shone in front of the Jeddawi crowd.
Barcelona broke the deadlock in the 22nd minute. A sweeping move from side to side ended with Raphinha finding Bardghji on the right, whose cutback was met by Lopez before being laid off for Ferran Torres to finish calmly for 1-0.
Just eight minutes later, an exquisite backheel from Pedri released Raphinha down the left flank once again, with his low cross this time finding Lopez to double Barcelona’s advantage.
Lopez contributed to his third goal of the night minutes later, this time slipping Bardghji down the right. The Kuwaiti-born winger skipped past Adama Boiro before striking at goal, with Unai Simon mishandling the ball as it trickled over the line.
The Blaugrana showed no signs of slowing down. Raphina finally got on the scoresheet in emphatic fashion with a belter into the top corner in the 38th minute.
To the surprise of many, neither side made any changes at the break. That decision quickly proved costly for Bilbao, as Raphinha struck again early in the second half, once more exploiting space down the flanks to extend the lead to 5-0.
With the contest beyond reach, Athletic head coach Ernesto Valverde rang the changes, making five substitutions to give minutes to his squad.
Barcelona, meanwhile, eased off to conserve energy ahead of Sunday’s final. To the delight of the crowd, both Rashford and Yamal were introduced, with Yamal receiving a warm standing ovation upon his entrance in the 72nd minute.
The emphatic victory marks Barcelona’s second consecutive five-goal display in the Spanish Super Cup, following last year’s 5-2 triumph over Real Madrid in the final.
The second semi-final takes place on Thursday, as Real Madrid face Atlético Madrid, with the winner set to meet Barcelona in Sunday’s final.
