The Indian team enjoyed a quiet day ahead of the first Test at Newlands, possibly unprecedented, with none of the players making the trip from the swank Cullinan Hotel to the ground on Thursday
Dale Steyn
The Indian team enjoyed a quiet day ahead of the first Test at Newlands, possibly unprecedented, with none of the players making the trip from the swank Cullinan Hotel to the ground on Thursday. The net session was an optional one, and with all the work they've put in during the lead-up to the game, they were more than happy to put their feet up.
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The South African team was out in force, and skipper Faf du Plessis was only too happy to be at Newlands, and was all praise for the pitch that was prepared perfectly to his liking. "I enjoy talking about the pitch. I like the fact that there is some sort of preference that we can try to get an advantage (from). The groundsman has done a fantastic job with the heat. The wicket looks good... a good cricket wicket. Nothing extreme. It looks like it's going to be exactly what we wanted," said du Plessis.
For South Africa, the major headache is whether to risk Dale Steyn, who is back in the mix after a lay-off of nearly a year. "This selection is probably one of the hardest that we are going to have to make. There are just so many combinations you can look at," said du Plessis.
"I'm looking at Dale, yes. It's a tough call. For me, he is the best bowler in the world. He hasn't played for a while and he hasn't got the overs under his legs that he would have wanted. But facing Dale in the nets, the skill feels like it hasn't gone anywhere. He has got the same pace and the same swing. Skillwise, it's like he has just jumped back on to that bicycle and is riding again."
There has been plenty of talk about the pitch, and du Plessis knew exactly what would suit his team. "In a perfect world it will be a quick wicket that nips around a bit. We also want to try and eliminate spin as much as possible. When we played Sri Lanka here last time, it was a really good wicket," said du Plessis.
"You don't want excessive seam movement because that brings both bowling attacks into the game. We feel with our seam resources, on a wicket that has some pace and bounce, we can exploit some of those areas in their batting line.By the end of the first day, it will be crystal clear whether South Africa have got what they wanted or not.
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