Kolkata: Had they been watching the rain-curtailed day one proceedings on the opening day of the first Test between India and Sri Lanka at the Eden Gardens here Thursday, the South African pacers must have been licking their lips in anticipation.
India are to tour South Africa beginning in January next year and the wickets there will have a lot of bounce and movement. And the way, Sri Lankan pacer Suranga Lakmal (6-6-0-3) rattled the hosts’ batsmen and exposed their distinct lack of technique to the moving and bouncing ball, the South Africans must have watched it and stored it in their memory for future use.
Pundits say that against the new ball on a seaming track, the primary technique should be to keep the bat as close to the body and play only those deliveries that is within the three stumps. It then negates the moving ball. However, in the 11.5 overs of play possible on the day none of the batters, save Cheteshwar Pujara seemed equipped with that asset.
KL Rahul (0) got out to a ball that he could have well left alone. However, he can be forgiven as it was the first ball of the game. Shikhar Dhawan (8) tried to cut a ball far away from his body and dragged it on to the stumps. Skipper Virat Kohli was unsure as to which way the ball would move (at fault for not watching the seam position of the ball while in the bowler’s hand). He thought he could manage seam management off the pitch only to find the ball darting back to have him plumb in front. The glee the Sri Lankans showed would have certainly increased if they had a few more overs to bowl to.
The day’s play must have had Ravi Shastri wrinkling his nose and eyebrows in disgust, because he knows what awaits the team at South Africa. The batters really need to go back to the nets and erase out the flaws as soon as possible.
Otherwise Kohli’s aspirations of winning ‘in uncomfortable’ conditions will always remain a dream… and never turn into reality.
Agencies
