SOUTH AFRICA’S RECENT POOR RECORD IN DURBAN PRESENTS A GOLDEN OPPURUNTIY FOR INDIA

Nearly two decades ago, Durban was perceived as the South African WACA. The memories of Indian batting been blown away twice in a Test Match in 1996 for 100 and 66 respectively are engraved in many Indian fans memories.

  

There are striking resemblances between the two teams back them and now. The 1996 Test match, the core of the Indian batting was playing in South Africa for the first time.  South Africa bowling had a familiar look about them like today, a bowler with express pace in Donald, a probing seamer in Pollock and a fine all-rounder in McMillan. However, there has been one significant change. Since 1996 to 2006, Durban was a happy hunting ground for South Africa but over the last five years it has been a graveyard.

Since South Africa readmission cricket in 1992 to 2007, South Africa had only lost in Durban twice. The pace and the bounce extracted by the fast bowlers in Durban have often unsettled amongst some of the finest batsmen but in the last five years it has been the spinners that have suddenly had an impact and the home team has suffered.

South African has lost their last four test matches and on each occasions spinners have made a vital contribution in one of the innings. 

It was Australia that started to penetrate the Durban fortress in 2009. While Johnson wrecked havoc in the first innings, Australian part time spinners, Marcus North and Simon Katich picked up four wickets between them in the 2^nd innings to bowl Australia to victory. Later in 2009, it was Swann that spun England to an innings victory.  In 2010, Harbhajan four wickets in the 1^st innings allowed India to sustain a healthy 80 lead which eventually led to a remarkable win.

Then finally last year against all the odds and after former South African captain stated a South African B team was capable of toppling the Sri Lankans, the island nation humiliated the hosts. Once again it was a spinner that did the damage. Rangana Herath match figures of 9/128 were the best figures taken by a spinner at Kingsmead.

Despite the green tinge to the wicket, India should be aware the Durban pitch is no longer a competitor to WACA and the pitch has changed in characteristics dramatically. Even the during the ODI series, it slowed up as the game progressed.  The South African flag has not flown high on the Durban fortress for four years and with pitch likely to assist Ashwin, a massive opportunity awaits for India to keep the South African flag off the Durban fort.