Proteas Need To Battle Their Old Adversary Spin To Compete Against Potent Indian Side

Proteas Need To Overcome Their Old Adversary Spin To Compete Against Potent Indian Side

South Africa mark the commencement of their campaign in the newly conceptualized ICC World Test Championships by taking on a formidable Indian team in a 3-match Test series beginning with the first encounter at Visakhapatnam on October 2. South Africa currently in a state of major transition post the retirements of their stalwarts have been known to be fairly good travelers abroad, besides being a fortress at home. The Proteas under Graeme Smith boasted of one of the best overseas record in Test cricket from 2010 to 2015. However if there is one weakness the South Africans have been exposed to for a very long time, it ought to be art of playing quality spin. Spin has always been South Africa's Achilles heal. Growing up on the fast, seamy and bouncy tracks, the Proteas batsmen since time immemorial have naturally been quality players of fast bowling. Much like their Australian and English counterparts, the Proteas stroke makers have always been at ease pulling and hooking the ball with full command and control. However, when it comes to playing world class spinners, South African batsmen have generally been all at sea, struggling with their technique more accustomed to coping with seam bowling. Spin has been the cause of their downfall many a times in crucial Test series, There have been exceptions in the form of Jacques Kallis, Hansie Cronje, AB De Villiers, Hashim Amla and their present skipper Faf Du Plessis. The select bunch had exceptional footwork which made them adept at playing the turning ball. South Africans have fared pretty well in their past visits to the sub continent but their recent track record has been quite dismal. When the South Africans last toured India for a Test series 2015, they succumbed to a humiliating 0-3 defeat to the Indians. The Proteas who had the likes of Amla, De Villiers, Elgar and Du Plessis in their batting ranks had a torrid time against the turning ball and looked like novices in negotiating the turn and bounce. The potent Indian spin duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja wrecked their batting order all through the series and helped Virat Kohli-led India rack up monumental wins in Delhi, Nagpur and Mohali. R Ashwin was the chief tormentor behind the carnage picking up a staggering 31 wickets in 4 Tests. Meanwhile Ravindra Jadeja was equally menacing scalping 23 wickets to be Ashwin's partner in crime. Amit Mishra the third spinner in the Indian armory lent a good supporting role picking up 7 wickets in 2 Tests. South Africa won’t have very good memories of their last assignment in the sub continent in 2018. They were beaten whole and square by Sri Lanka in a 2-match Test Series. The chief architects of the South Africa demolition were Sri Lankan spinners Dilruwan Perera, Rangana Herath and Akila Dhananjaya who cast a web around them. This time around the landscape and scenario would  be no different and even a tad more tougher to deal with . The lethal spin duo of Ashwin and Jadeja still spearhead the Indian spin attack, and to further make the case tough for South Africa, they are joined by another potent tweaker in Kuldeep Yadav who has tasted success against the South Africans . With a lethal spin trio waiting in the wings, the visitors need to get their act together as India would be looking to unleash their spin arsenal on rank turners.  The likes of Aiden Markram, Faf Du Plessis and Quinton De Kock would need to step up their game against spin and spearhead the South African batting to give them a chance of competing against the virtually unconquerable Indians in the upcoming Test series.