Question.

How Can India negotiate Steyn n co. in the Tests?

How Can India negotiate Steyn n co. in the Tests?

With the One-Dayers done and dusted as a one-sided contest, its time now for Team India to shift gears to the longer version of the game. The One-Day series has already shown the star-studded in-form batting line-up succumbing to the pace and bounce of Steyn, Morkel and their likes. So with almost a week to go to the opening Test in Johannesburg, how does Team India go about their plans and strategies to negotiate Steyn n co.

  Firstly Team India must realize that the opening test is in Johannesburg, which has always been a bouncy pacy track, and a fast outfield. While this implies, a battery of deliveries going above the shoulder or chest level, it also implies that batsmen get value for their shots, due to the quick outfield. Hence Team India batsmen need to make better use of the pace of the bowlers, to play their shots, to get aided by the quick outfield. Also we all know that Steyn is an experienced customer, and very miserly with runs, hence the batmen need to play him out with caution. Also Steyn looks ominous with the new ball in hand, and hence, India must open with somebody like Pujara, who has a test match temperament, and doesn’t get frustrated easily. However when facing Morkel, the approach should be different, since Morkel can easily be put off his line and length, with hits to the fence, upfront, and is more prone to having his rhythm spoilt, than Steyn.
  In a test match format, that too when its summer in South Africa, it will be difficult for either Steyn/Morkel to bowl long spells, and Philander and Tahir will need to fill up with plenty of overs between themselves. The Indian batting line-up is much better equipped to play these two, due to the gentler pace, and must cash in on these overs, which will constitute a majority, owing to the tiredness constraint of Steyn and Morkel.
  Finally Team India needs to be realistic about setting targets. A score of 300 would do just fine, but the Indian pace battery, led by the old warhorse, Zaheer Khan, too must come to the party, so that our bowlers can exploit the pace and bounce on the tracks, and pose challenges to the opposition batsmen. We can’t expect our batsmen to post 500+ totals and bail the team out everytime, as maybe in pitches in India.

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