Port Elizabeth: They say when the wind sweeps into the stadium from the drylands of the west, it turns the pitch at St. George’s park dry.
And when the wind comes in from the south-easterly direction, it carries with it moisture from the sea. The spinners would benefit in the first scenario, and the pacmen, in the second.
The bigger question is ? which way would the wind blow for India. This has, so far, been a jinxed campaign for the Men in Blue. Injuries and defeats have followed the side. Now, its captain and most reliable batsman Rahul Dravid is out of the series.
It is not easy being in Virender Sehwag’s shoes. The dasher at the top of the order is seeking runs himself. Now, he has to lead a stuttering side that is just one match away from a series defeat.
But then, Sehwag likes to keep it simple and straight. His message to the fans back home is ? “Trust the team.”
The team would also have to trust itself in the `do-or-die’ fourth ODI, here, on Wednesday. Self-belief is the genesis of comebacks.
Sehwag denied he was under stress ? “only when you think of pressure, there is pressure, I don’t play under pressure.”
His next line held much significance. “The team will have to learn to stay together and fight during times where it would be without, both Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar.” Mercifully, Tendulkar will play the next game. In fact, either Tendulkar or Anil Kumble would fill in as vice-captain.
Sehwag defended the coach. “Greg Chappell has been a good coach and has helped the players, particularly the batsmen technically,” he said.
Traditionally, the wicket here does not behave like a typical South African pitch of pace and bounce. However, pacemen, when the weather assists them, have been able to achieve lateral movement.
The pitch tends to slow down as the match progresses and can prove spinner-friendly. The wicket, however, has tended to favour the batsmen more in recent times, if the domestic matches are any indication.
As Sehwag indicated, India is likely to play, both, Kumble and Harbhajan Singh again and persist with the five-bowler formula. Logically, bowling second would suit the spinners.
