Two early wickets will put us back in the hunt: Harbhajan

At the MRF Pace Academy, which is not too far from the MA Chidambaram Stadium, coach...

At the MRF Pace Academy, which is not too far from the MA Chidambaram Stadium, coach TA Sekar and pace guru Dennis Lillee have always tried to get their wards to bowl according to the conditions available.

However, the conditions that were made available by the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) on Wednesday might have left them at a loss for words. Devoid of any grass, the track at Chidambaram resembled a dead duck that neither team wanted to feast on.

South Africa may have worked themselves to a position of strength on the placid surface, but Neil McKenzie insisted that his side found it “difficult to bat because the bounce remained uneven.”

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In hindsight, the Indian team might wonder what would have happened if South Africa’s best batsman, Jacques Kallis, had refused to walk.

“Did he walk? Dammit,” said McKenzie in jest at the end of the day’s play. Wasn’t he surprisingly chirpy considering he had missed out on a century by six runs? “We cricketers are a greedy lot, so yes, I am disappointed.”

First hour crucial

Harbhajan Singh felt India needed something special in the first hour of play tomorrow to turn things around. “If we can get a couple of quick wickets, we can get into their tail. A good start is very important,” he emphasised.

The off-spinner underlines the word “start”, as it is hard for the bowlers to maintain intensity in these conditions.

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He said that having five bowlers might have helped, adding there was no point in discussing what wasn’t in their control now. If anything, Harbhajan is confident that the Indian attack will “make things difficult for SA in the second innings.” That is hoping India do well on the second day to keep the match alive.