IND vs SA | India certain favourites against South Africa, reckons Harsha Bogle
Harsha Bhogle believes India are clear front-runners to win the Test series against South Africa considering the visitors’ struggle against spin and India’s talented batting order. He further highlighted South Africa’s poor run of late and their lack of options that’ll have them on the backfoot.
With the three match Test series against South Africa set to begin next week, the odds suggest India will be entering the contest as overwhelming favourites. South Africa has had a dismal history against spinners of late courtesy the tracks back at their home are tailor made for lethal fast bowlers and with two proven Test spinners going against them, it’ll prove to be quite difficult. In 2015, Jadeja and Ashwin had combined for 51 of the 70 wickets in a four match Test series against the Proteas, helping their team earn and easy series victory. Moreover, India’s batting lineup strength and the fact that they haven’t lost at home since 2012/13 doesn’t help the Proteas’ cause either.
“India are the certain favourites for the Tests against South Africa. A lot of things are going in India's favour. Recent home records are fantastic, Indian spinners are virtually impossible to play, especially against teams like South Africa that don't play spin too well. India bad very deep. Pujara, Kohli and Rahane is a very, very formidable middle order. The keeper bats at seven. Then your two spinners Ashwin and Jadeja who I'm almost certain will play well, will take the batting all the way down to number nine. The tracks will turn. I think the absence of Bumrah will now make it almost certain that the tracks will help the spinners. Ashwin and Jadeja bowling together the last time again South Africa just decimated them,” Harsha Bhogle said in a video for Cricbuzz.
The visiting side is a heavily depleted one that is still trying to find replacements to the recently retired legendary quartet of Hashim Amla, Dale Steyn, AB de VIlliers and Imran Tahir. The average age of the squad is quite low and the majority of them have little to no experience of facing Indian spinners at their own playground. The fact that their three spinners have played a combined 32 Tests further adds to their misfortunes.
“What does South Africa have going for them? Very little, I'm afraid. It's a very inexperienced side, there is no AB de Villiers, there's no Hashim Amla and you look down that lineup and yes, Dean Elgar is gritty but the best batsman against spin in that South African side averages just 24. Faf du Plessis struggled enormously to the extent that this year, he's opted to play county cricket in England in an effort to get the tune to long form cricket rather than come and play the T20s here. And you've got to wonder about the spin bowling. Yes, Maharaj is a good spinner but I wonder if he'll have support from Dane Piedt with South Africa going only with Rabada and Ngidi or will they try and play Philander as well,”
South Africa hasn’t won a series in the subcontinent for more than five years and with such a depleted lineup, it seems certain they’ll have to wait longer to achieve the same.
“I think South Africa are a struggling side. The wickets will turn and I suspect a bit of the match might get lost within,” he concluded on the matter.