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As I expected, the curator has produced a result pitch in Kanpur.
With two innings almost over in two days' time, there is no question that this game will see a result, either which way.
At stumps on day two, it's in a very delicate position. India have got a tiny lead, but they have just one wicket in hand. If South Africa can get that last wicket quickly today, which I think they will be able to do with the likes of Sreesanth and Ishant Sharma at the crease, they will definitely have a chance to win the game. Getting Sourav Ganguly's wicket towards the end today was very important for us. If he was still there at close of play, India could have hoped to get a 50-60 run lead. So, the visitors' focus would be to get that wicket as early as possible and then knock off whatever small deficit they have conceded.
Partnerships
Once they do that, and get ahead by over 200 runs, Proteas will definitely have a good chance of winning this game. India might feel they were a bit unlucky today and missed out on an opportunity of getting a bigger lead.
This is a kind of pitch where as a batsman you are never in. Longer you stay on it, better you will feel. But a batsman, at the back of his mind, will always know that one good delivery that pitches in a right area, or keep low, or bounce awkwardly, can send you back to the pavilion. So it's very important that once a player gets in, he should try to make most out of it. Because not many are going to get in on this pitch. Batters need to wait for their chances, and should score on every possible opportunity.
Partnerships is a crucial part of Test cricket, and it is even more important on this kind of pitch, where run scoring is not all that easy. I believe we are going to see a lots of in-and-out field settings in the rest of this match.
Dangerous
There will be fielders around the bat to get wickets, and there will also be men in the outfield to ensure that not many boundaries are conceded. It's such a tight game where no team can totally dominate the other team. In such a scenario, good fielding, clever field settings, tight bowling become very crucial factors of the game. A cameo innings of 30-40 runs can eventually make the difference between winning and losing.
Since it's not all that conducive for batting, I think the visitors will feel they are in with a chance, no matter what target they will set for India. Pitch is not going to get any better, and batting in the fourth innings is going to be quite difficult. Spinners are tough to handle here, but so are pacers. So even though we have just one spinner in the team, Steyn, Ntini and Morkel are going to be equally dangerous.
It will be interesting to see what target the Proteas will set for India. I can't see this match going the full distance.
- Professional Management Group
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