Better prepared this time

It kicked off with a track resembling a runway in Chennai,where Virender Sehwag sent the South African bowlers scurrying in all directions....

It kicked off with a track resembling a runway in Chennai,where Virender Sehwag sent the South African bowlers scurrying in all directions. The curator in Ahmedabad then took hospitality to a new level by providing a greentop to the browbeaten Proteas and Dale Steyn amp; Co showed just how grateful they were by sending the Indian batsmen packing. By the end of their last Test series here in 2008,the South Africans had experienced all the vagaries of playing in India as they succumbed to a dreadful defeat on a dust-bowl at Kanpur.

Adaptability is the first word thats used when visiting teams land in India,and its very much the buzzword for Graeme Smith and his merry men as they go into the first Test in Nagpur starting Saturday.

For all the hype that has surrounded every visit that the all-conquering Australians have made to India over the years,it is the South Africans who have managed to adapt themselves best,having lost only one out of four series here. However,since 2004,their record here has slipped,with the side winning only one Test out of five.

Veteran wicket-keeper Mark Boucher is no stranger to conditions here,having made two Test tours with the South African team previously,and believes this side is better prepared to handle the conditions. Guys like Jacques Kallis have shown the way for the others with they way they have handled the conditions here. Things change very quickly here. It is important that the team gets a big score when they bat first as you never know how the pitch can change complexion later on, he says,adding that there was ven less of a margin for error this time around. The toss becomes very crucial in a two-Test series,and you never know if the wicket is going to break open come the second day.

Good sessions

South African coach Corrie van Zyl believes that getting used to the conditions quickly would be the key for his team. India has a great cricketing culture and it is an amazing place to play cricket in. Most of the players have experienced these conditions before but the two-day practice game was extremely crucial for us, he says.

Morne Morkel,who will shoulder the fast bowling responsibilities along with Dale Steyn,meanwhile,believes that the weather conditions too had a lot to do for a fast bowlers preparation in India. Both of us know what to expect over here. There are certain places like Chennai where the heat is simply ridiculous. But you just need to keep running in fast and stick to your strengths. I depend a lot on my pace regardless of the condition of the wickets, he says.

Off-spinner Johan Botha,meanwhile,believes the toughest job for him and spinning partner Paul Harris so far had been getting used to the SG balls. We have been practising with it for a while now. Though it was slippery in the beginning we are getting used to it now, he says. Botha adds that the biggest pressure for spinners touring here was the expectation that they would do well. Though its never easy,it at least gives us the option of being attacking, he says.