Munaf fit for third Test, cloud over Kallis

There's still one day left in the second Test, but a startling nudge by Mahendra Singh Dhoni has already turned the clock forward to the decider in Cape Town starting on January 2.

There8217;s still one day left in the second Test, but a startling nudge by Mahendra Singh Dhoni has already turned the clock forward to the decider in Cape Town starting on January 2.

His middle finger badly bruised after taking a knock behind the stumps yesterday, Dhoni said this evening that he hoped to play the third Test.

8220;The good news is it8217;s not broken, the bad news is it8217;s badly bruised. There8217;s still three days to go before the next Test. The team management will decide, but I feel I am in a position to bat tomorrow,8221; he said.

Of course, it8217;s just not Dhoni who will be eagerly waiting for the final XI to be decided. There are others: Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, VRV Singh and Munaf Patel, and Harbhajan Singh.

The knives are out for Sehwag after he flopped again today, playing down the wrong line, giving Makhaya Ntini his first wicket of the innings. Sehwag8217;s last four Test scores read: 4, 33, 0 and 8. Not that Wasim Jaffer has been miles ahead, but the big difference between the two has been the resolve, the hunger to stay on and score.

But Dhoni came out in support of Sehwag, saying, 8220;It8217;s part and parcel of the game. With the new Kookaburra ball, there have always been one or two early breakthroughs in every innings. A lean patch happens to everyone.8221;

Does the team thinktank agree? But there8217;s already a tentative answer to question No. 2: will Munaf play? He has been declared fit by team physio John Gloster, and there8217;s a very strong possibility that Munaf will replace VRV Singh for the third Test.

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And question No. 3: Harbhajan Singh? Well, the answer will depend on another question: will India go in with two spinners? The dry Newlands pitch has traditionally favoured the tweakers, and the South Africans have already decided on picking rookie left-armer Paul Harris.

Dicey call, that, for India because if you do bring in Harbhajan, you will have to drop a batsman, definitely not Sreesanth, Munaf, Zaheer Khan and Anil Kumble.

However, if this is of any consolation for India, South African coach Mickey Arthur indicated to this paper today that Jacques Kallis may miss the next Test, too. 8220;To be honest, I am really worried about Kallis for the next game,8221; he said.