South Africa promise Sehwag chin music

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South Africa are planning to pepper Virender Sehwag with short balls and cramp him for space in the second Test. More... South Africa promise Sehwag chin music April 01, 2008 15:53 IST Still smarting from the attack Virender Sehwag [images] launched on their bowlers in Chennai, South Africa are planning to pepper the Indian opener with short balls and cramp him for space in the second Test starting in Ahmedabad on Thursday. SA hold psychological edge over India South African coach Micky Arthur, while maintaining that Sehwag played a fantastic innings, said the Delhi batsman, who scored the fastest triple hundred in Tests (319 off 304 balls) in the drawn first Test, would be in for some chin music at the Motera. "We had a look at Sehwag's fantastic innings. We saw that he played his first pull shot after scoring 312," Arthur thold reporters in Ahmedabad on Tuesday. "He cuts the ball very well. We plan to target him with short balls into his body and cramp him for space and see how he takes it." Asked how his fast bowlers will make the plan work if the wickets do not respond well to fast bowling, Arthur said "We will have to wait and watch for the first ball to be bowled on how the wicket is. At the moment it looks good with some grass on it. But it may be a bit slow. The heat is also dry heat and we are used to similar conditions at home, like in Cape Town and Johannesburg." Arthur also tried to put behind the issue of the SG brand of balls that is being used in the Test series and said since the team has been here for 15 days the players have hopefully become accustomed to it. "It's a contentious issue. I can't say whether we have got used to them. We have been here for two weeks and hopefully got used to it. It would be interesting to see how the ball behaves here on the lush green outfield, whether it reverses. Hopefully the pitch will help the seamers." Lavishing praise on his batsmen for their fine display in Chennai, Arthur said the Proteas' line-up had gained from their previous tours to the sub-continent and was now comfortable playing spin bowling. "We have played a lot in the sub-continent. We have kept the same top six in the batting order. We are comfortable playing spin bowling. "We have a very balanced bowling attack. We have also a very good spinner in Paul Harris, who is probably the most under-rated spinner. He was a bit nervous in Chennai." He maintained that the visitors were not under any psychological pressure after the blitz from Sehwag. "We have probably taken more positives from the first Test. The top order performed. We have bowlers who can take 20 wickets." The South African coach thought that India had enough bench strength in the batting department, with Yuvraj Singh [images] and Mohammed Kaif waiting in the wings, but the point of interest would be whether the home team wouls field five bowlers.

[Chandan]

Well, it'll be interesting battle--short pitch deliveries at the body on a slow track! But if it was so easy to nail Sehwag, don't you think he'd have been nailed long before in Australia itself? Still somehow I don't think SA will have to work hard on Sehwag this time. He is going to get himself out in this match. Suddenly, it seems that India's batting looks quite fragile. What'll happen if Sehwag and Dravid fail, as law of averages indicate? Should India go with a 5th bowler or should they include another batsman? My dilemma is even more deep after this article: SA hold psychological edge over India April 01, 2008 13:23 IST South Africa hold the psychological edge going into the second Test on Thursday against an India team weighed down by major fitness issues. The visitors will look to drive home their confidence of tackling the hosts' experienced spin bowlers after rallying to draw the first match of the three-test series which ended on Sunday. India will be without talismanic batsman Sachin Tendulkar [images] because of a groin injury, while a final decision on the fitness of captain Anil Kumble [images] will be taken on Wednesday. Left-arm seamer Rudra Pratap Singh went wicketless and looked way below his best on his return from injury. It is unclear if young fast bowler Ishant Sharma, out of action with a foot injury since returning from Australia, will recover in time to play. The tourists amassed almost 900 runs in the Chennai match, with India's Virender Sehwag [images] smashing his second career test triple hundred. The visitors more than held their own against the potent spin duo of Kumble and Harbhajan Singh [images], who took eight wickets, batting with purposefulness on a benign pitch. TURNING TRACK South Africa skipper Graeme Smith [images] expects his batsmen to play equally well in Ahmedabad despite the likelihood a turning track. "In terms of our capabilities against spin, our techniques and game plans are pretty sound," Smith told reporters after the first test. "We've probably surprised a few of you. We've generally proven we can play it (spin) well," the left-handed opener added. South Africa are chasing a sub-continent treble after winning a test series in Pakistan last year and in Bangladesh in March. South Africa's top order fired in Chennai where opener Neil McKenzie and Hashim Amla scored centuries and Smith cracked 73. Equally impressive was the fightback by their bowlers, spearheaded by Dale Steyn who took four of the last five wickets to restrict India's first innings lead to 87 after Sehwag's blitz and Rahul Dravid's [images] composed century. But the middle-order is yet to fire, especially Jacques Kallis [images], who, although usually South Africa's best player of spin, fell cheaply in both innings. While Kumble agreed that the touring side have adapted well to the sub-continent conditions, he said he fancied India's chances of bowling the visitors out twice. "We definitely have the potential to ensure we take wickets on any surface," Kumble said. "Going into Ahmedabad and Kanpur, we definitely fancy our chance of doing that." Either Yuvraj Singh [images] or the recalled Mohammad Kaif is expected to replace Tendulkar

[DomainK]

Well, it'll be interesting battle--short pitch deliveries at the body on a slow track! But if it was so easy to nail Sehwag, don't you think he'd have been nailed long before in Australia itself? Still somehow I don't think SA will have to work hard on Sehwag this time. He is going to get himself out in this match. Suddenly, it seems that India's batting looks quite fragile. What'll happen if Sehwag and Dravid fail, as law of averages indicate? Should India go with a 5th bowler or should they include another batsman?

Chill....nothing wrong with Indian batting. If this pitch is not as dead as the last one, we will win it.:two_thumbs_up:

[theguyinallblue]

Pathan should come in for RP...this will strengthen the batting some what.. i think India should play with 5 bowlers in this match.. Pathan at Number 7 Kumble Bhajji Sreesanth Ishant Sharma.. Dhoni will have to shoulder the responsibility of a main batsman in the team... even if sehwag and dravid return early..Ganguly..Jaffer...VVS...Dhoni and Kaif along with Pathan should do well to score 400 runs among themselves..

[Chandan]

What? How can you have Pathan as well Kaif and Ishant in your team? You can play with only 11 players. So if Ishant replaces RPS and Pathan replaces Sachin, I just can't see where can Kaif fit in. Please enlighten TGIB!!

[DomainK]

Pathan should come in for RP...this will strengthen the batting some what.. i think India should play with 5 bowlers in this match.. Pathan at Number 7 Kumble Bhajji Sreesanth Ishant Sharma.. Dhoni will have to shoulder the responsibility of a main batsman in the team... even if sehwag and dravid return early..Ganguly..Jaffer...VVS...Dhoni and Kaif along with Pathan should do well to score 400 runs among themselves..

Either Pathan or Chawla....depending on the pitch. I am not much worried about batting to be honest, but we do need five bowlers.

[talksport]

Thats the way to do it...they are 319 runs late

[cochise]

We must thank them for telegraphing their intentions to Sehwag so he develops his game for it. They are trying to psych him. He has already psyched them with the bat. What's the bet he will repeat the treatment again? Just so it's nice and deep into their psyche.

[theguyinallblue]

What? How can you have Pathan as well Kaif and Ishant in your team? You can play with only 11 players. So if Ishant replaces RPS and Pathan replaces Sachin, I just can't see where can Kaif fit in. Please enlighten TGIB!!

:giggle: :D...galti mistake ho gaya... in any case we will have to play 5 specialist bowlers... Pathan, Kumble, Bhajji, sree and Ishant... 5 specialist Batsman and Dhoni... i think Dravid will socre runs in this series....he will not let his opportunity go by...Sehwag can disappoint.. but we can not expect out top order to fail and hope to win.. Top order has a job to score runs...and they will have to... Jaffer can not sit idle on his bums..and If Ganguly Fails in this match as well...then its time for him to make way for some one else.. VVS will have to score big in this match as well.. My 5 Batsmen are.. Sehwag,..Jaffer...Dravid..VVS...Ganguly..

[Gambit]

WI with that chucker Jermaine Lawson were the first to exploit Sehwag's weakness with the leg side trap. Sehwag usually plays short balls on middle and leg off the hip and they had a catcher for this shot.

[Parth]

"We had a look at Sehwag's fantastic innings. We saw that he played his first pull shot after scoring 312' date='" Arthur told reporters in Ahmedabad on Tuesday.[/quote'] They only relised after he score 300, everyone else watching the match knew he never plays the pull well, before he came out. SA coach is :stupid::stupid::stupid::stupid::stupid::stupid::stupid::stupid::stupid::stupid::stupid::stupid::stupid:

[Temujin Khaghan]

Top order: Sehwag, Jaffer, Dravid Middle : VVS, Saurav Lower middle : Dhoni, Pathan/Chawla/Kaif (depends on the pitch) Tail : Ishanth, RP, Bhajji, Kumble. If Saurav strikes form, then fans can have a good night's sleep during the 5 days.

[cochise]

They are just trying to play mind games. For the Indian team, just back from Oz...this is amateur hour stuff.

[Temujin Khaghan]

If the pitch has bounce, then VVS would do better than dravid and dada to counter that.

[Temujin Khaghan]

They are just trying to play mind games. For the Indian team' date=' just back from Oz...this is amateur hour stuff.[/quote'] agreed, but steyn's bouncers have that sting and venom of a viper. Something that lacked in the aussie attack (save lee). Our guys would do good to watch out anyway.

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Proteas have plan 'A' and 'B' Proteas coach Mickey Arthur has revealed that he has two plans in place to counter India when they play South Africa in the second Test. More... Proteas have plan 'A' and 'B' Iqbal Khan April 01 2008 at 01:45PM As the South Africans began their preparation on Tuesday for the second Test against India in Motera, Mickey Arthur revealed that he has two plans in place to counter the home side to get into a lead in the three-match Test series. The first Test in Chennai ended in a tame draw at the weekend, but both teams are desperately keen to break the deadlock before heading for the final encounter at Green Park in Kanpur. Plan A is to go into the match with an unchanged side if the wicket looks likely to assist his quick bowlers and Plan B, according to Arthur, is to use two spinners if the track is likely to be spinner-friendly. Plan B would bring in Robin Peterson, who had an outstanding Test against Bangladesh some three weeks ago in Chittagong. He only joined the squad on the first day of the first Test - he arrived late in the sub-continent as his girlfriend was giving birth to their first child. Peterson, who returned to the South African squad as a late replacement for the indisposed Paul Harris, who had undergone surgery for an abscess on his buttock, grabbed his opportunity and pushed Johan Botha, the No 2 spinner, out of the squad with a 5-33 in the second Test against Bangladesh. He had a match analysis of 6-94. Arthur said: "We will have a look at the track and determined what plans to go with. "The Chennai pitch was flat as anything and the batsmen made the best use of it. We tried our best to bowl them out but Viro (Sehwag) was in a different class on that one particular day and took the game away from us," he said. But Arthur added that his side had come back well, winning nine of the 13 sessions, and believes the Indians were shocked with the way the South Africans responded after they scored 627 in their first innings in reply to their 540 all out. Arthur said: "If the curator prepares a sporting wicket here he has promised to give us one then there could be a result in this Test. "We are pretty confident of our chances we executed our plans well in Chennai and if we can make use of the pitch well we could be in with a shout." While South Africa do not have any injury problems, India are still battling to come to terms with the injuries to two key players Sachin Tendulkar and Anil Kumble. There's doubt over Tendulkar's availability some say he's out of the squad, while others believe he will play as no-one from the Indian camp wants to stick their necks out just yet. For them it's a serious matter as Kumble's groin strain is also causing a few headaches with just two days to go to the second Test. Mohammad Kaif and Yuvraj Singh are on standby either one of them will replace Tendulkar if he pulls out. But if Kumble's injury does not to respond to treatment there could be a major shuffle in the Indian side, who are set to include young fast bowling sensation Ishant Sharma for Rudra Pratap Singh. Mahindra Singh Dhoni will take over the captaincy while young Piyush Chawla, a spinner, will come in for Kumble. Graeme Smith expects his batsmen to play equally well in Ahmedabad despite the likelihood a turning track. "In terms of our capabilities against spin, our techniques and game plans are pretty sound."

[cochise]

I am sure they are aware of it already. And have plans to counter it. This 'chin music' dig is just for mental effect...Indians are not going to be overawed by it. Samo samo everytime from these guys.

[Sachinism]

bring on the chin music

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Team India practises sans top players The Indian team's net session in Ahmedabad on Tuesday saw all its leading players, except captain Anil Kumble, missing. Many of those who played in the drawn first Test against South Africa in Chennai did not arrive in the city and were thus unable to make it for the optional practice session that lasted nearly two hours. More... Team India practises sans top players Harish Kotian in Ahmedabad April 01, 2008 19:27 IST The Indian team's net session in Ahmedabad on Tuesday saw all its leading players, except captain Anil Kumble [images], missing. Many of those who played in the drawn first Test against South Africa in Chennai did not arrive in the city and were thus unable to make it for the optional practice session that lasted nearly two hours. Pacer Ishant Sharma went through his paces in the nets in a bid to prove his fitness ahead of the second Test, starting Thursday. Others who took part in the session included Irfan Pathan [images], Yuvraj Singh [images], Piyush Chawla and the injured Murali Kartik [images]. Mohammad Kaif, who has been named in place of the injured Sachin Tendulkar [images] for the match, also reported for practice, held under the supervision of coach Gary Kirsten. Mental and physical conditioning coach Paddy Upton and physio Paul Close were also present as the team trained in temperatures around 40 degrees Celsius. The South Africans had their practice session in the morning with all their players present. South Africa coach Mickey Arthur said the temperatures in Ahmedabad, though extreme, were slightly better than what was experienced during the first Test in Chennai, where humidity took its toll on a lot of players. "It is a lot like Johannesburg," Arthur said of the weather.

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Kumble, Ishant to be assesed on Wednesday A final call on the availability of captain Anil Kumble and young speedster Ishant Sharma for the second cricket Test against South Africa will be taken on Wednesday after a fitness assessment of both players. More... Kumble, Ishant to be assesed on Wednesday April 01, 2008 19:04 IST A final call on the availability of captain Anil Kumble [images] and young speedster Ishant Sharma for the second cricket Test against South Africa will be taken on Wednesday after a fitness assessment of both players. Both Kumble and Ishant bowled decent spells at the optional nets at the Sardar Patel Gujarat Stadium, Motera, and the Indian team management will be anxious to have them fit in the wake of Sachin Tendulkar's [images] unavailability due to a groin injury. Only seven players, including Murali Kartik [images] who is recovering from an ankle injury, came to the optional practice session today and the latter was put through his paces mildly by team physiotherapist Paul Close. Kumble, who has a groin niggle sustained in Chennai, and Ishant recovering from an injured finger and toe - bowled at the nets mostly against Yuvraj Singh [images] and Mohammed Kaif who had lengthy stints with the bat. Kumble later indicated that he was feeling better which should bring cheers to the Indian camp. If nets sessions are an indication, Yuvraj is almost a certainty to take Tendulkar's place in the middle order after he had been asked to bat on three different net wickets by coach Gary Kirsten. In that case Kaif, who last played a Test for India in June 2006 in Kingston [images], Jamaica, will have to wait to regain his spot. The other players who attended the nets on Tuesday were all-rounder Irfan Pathan [images] and leg-spinner Piyush Chawla, both of whom warmed the benches in the series opener. Meanwhile, the organisers of the match, Gujarat Cricket Association, have warned spectators not to indulge in any racist comments aimed at players, officials or fellow spectators. A prominent notice put up at the entrance of the pavilion says: 'Spectators shall not indulge in any conduct, act towards or speak to any player or official or other spectators in a manner which offends, insults, humiliates, intimidates, threatens, disparages or vilifies that other person on the basis of that person's race, religion, colour, nationality or ethnic origin.' It may be recalled that it was at Vadodara last year when racism-related charges against a section of the crowd were levelled by Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds [images]. The Aussies complained that racist abuses were hurled at the same player in Nagpur and later in Mumbai, after which the presidents of the two Boards issued a joint statement condemning racism in the game.