India face a test of character

Boosted by their victory in the Pro20 game on Friday night, India's cricketers head to Centurion on Sunday seeking to avoid a 4-0 drubbing in the one-day series. Thus far, South Africa have had it all their own way, with the 80-run margin at Port Elizabeth the closest in a hopelessly one-sided series.

To be fair, India's bowlers have nearly matched their South African counterparts, with Zaheer Khan especially impressive. But the batting, with the odd exception here and there, has been appalling, with run chases ruined even before the Powerplays were exhausted.

The return of VVS Laxman, who batted in the nets at Centurion on Saturday, should herald some improvement. His one-day record in South Africa is nothing special - 20 runs in two innings - but as he has repeatedly shown in Australia, the extra bounce doesn't faze him. Lateral movement is another matter, but there's unlikely to be much of that on a bone-dry Centurion pitch that should be full of runs.

There will be enough bounce to keep pace bowlers on both sides interested and the strong winds that blow across the ground - two sides of it are completely exposed to the elements - will also be a major factor in a day game starting at 10 AM. Chasing a target could well be the smart option, though given India's travails, they might just prefer to defend whatever total they can put up. Having dealt with the likes of Johan van der Wath and Tyron Henderson in the Pro20 game, they will once more be confronted with the far more lethal trio of Shaun Pollock, Makhaya Ntini and Andre Nel.

Laxman's inclusion provides a nice sidelight to a game that is little more than a statistical irrelevance. On Sunday, the side will be led by Virender Sehwag, who has just lost deputy status in the Test team to the man replacing him - Laxman. At the press conference following the Pro20 game, Sehwag suggested that he would just get on with his game, slap on the wrist notwithstanding. And that's exactly what the team needs from an individual who can still turn a game in the space of a few overs with some blistering strokeplay.

For Mohammad Kaif, who has failed to grasp his chance, the match should be an opportunity to remind the selectors of what he can offer, with only eight more games remaining before India head for the World Cup. His exclusion from the Test side is a bitter blow, and it will be a test of character to see how he bounces back.

With Ajit Agarkar and Munaf Patel both injured, the bowling is down to the bare bones, and Harbhajan Singh should return to partner Anil Kumble in an attack spearheaded by Zaheer and Sreesanth. Irfan Pathan probably saved his tour with a good allround display in Port Elizabeth, and needs to recover much of the ground lost in the past few months.

For South Africa, the choices are far more straightforward. Andrew Hall, whose allround show was so pivotal in the Cape Town victory, is carrying an injury, and Robin Peterson could get a first game of the series. Loots Bosman's failures at the top will see the equally inconsistent AB de Villiers moving up to partner Graeme Smith, opening a spot for Ashwell Prince in the middle-order.

Smith's form is a matter of concern, and he needs to reassess his approach to Zaheer in the initial overs. Great batsmen eventually adjust, and Smith has enough quality about him to solve the problem. India will only hope that he doesn't find a solution until the tour is over.

South Africa (likely): 1 Graeme Smith (capt), 2 AB de Villiers, 3 Jacques Kallis, 4 Herschelle Gibbs, 5 Ashwell Prince, 6 Mark Boucher (wk), 7 Justin Kemp, 8 Shaun Pollock, 9 Robin Peterson, 10 Andre Nel, 11 Makhaya Ntini.

India (likely): 1 Virender Sehwag (capt), 2 Sachin Tendulkar, 3 VVS Laxman, 4 Mohammad Kaif, 5 Dinesh Karthik, 6 Mahendra Singh Dhoni, 7 Irfan Pathan, 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Zaheer Khan, 10 Anil Kumble, 11 Sreesanth.