World Test Championship

The recent test series in South Africa is rightly billed as the title clash of the world test cricket Championship. Here India and South Africa are locked in battle for supremacy. The Indian team is led by Mahindra Singh Dhoni, while G Smith captains South Africa. The build up to the series is fitting as India has trounced New Zealand at home by a huge margin and likewise South Africa has also done well.
The Indian team is star studded with the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Virendra Shewag and Laxman in its ranks. But for past experience these star studded players have not done much to help India win outside the home arena on foreign soil. Thus India has not won a series abroad in Sri Lanka, Australia and New Zealand, not forgetting South Africa in 17 years. In fact the last win against these countries was when Azarruddin led India to victory over Sri Lanka in1993. So in real terms these star studded batsmen though piling up individual records by the dozen have been unable to lift India and make it a world beater on foreign soil.
South Africa also has a record of choking at the end and thus the stage is set for an exciting clash. The first test is over and as expected India with its star batsmen lost by an innings. Tendulkar, of course hit the mandatory century and the other stalwarts failed. It is a moot point as to what use are these individual records if India cannot win.
Another lacuna in the team is its bowling department. The attack so lethal in India is always found wanting on hard and true pitches. But the saving grace is that Zaheer Khan who missed the first test will be back and that should strengthen the Indian bowling attack.
The Indian team should play to its full potential. South Africa is not as formidable as it seems and the batting with the exception of Jack Kallis is not all that hot. But the fact remains that the Indian pace attack is an apology with our pacers just sending the ball at 125-35 km an hour compared to the South African pacers who generate speeds touching 150 km an hour. Much is also expected from Harbhajan Singh, but this offie is not a potent force abroad on hard wickets.

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