SA vs IND 2018: An Improved Pace Attack is India’s USP - Kepler Wessels
Lauding India’s current pace attack, former South Africa skipper, Kepler Wessels said the current crop of bowlers gives the India ‘a different look’.
India has not won a series in South Africa in the last six attempts, managing only a couple of wins in 17 Tests they have played so far. Even the team comprising the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid and other stalwarts could not win a series in the rainbow nation.
However, the current team has been tipped to end India’s long wait for a series win on the South Africa soil, and Wessels believes the current pace attack gives Virat Kohli & Co. the edge.
“An improved pace attack is India’s USP. India’s batting has always been good, but this crop of pacemen gives it a different look,” Wessels told The Telegraph.
India arrived in South Africa after registering nine consecutive series wins. While the batsmen have played their part, the bowlers have also contributed equally. Even on the spin-friendly wickets, the likes of Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami and Bhuvneshwar Kumar gave the opposition a testing time, and as a result, India is sitting atop the ICC Test rankings for quite some time now.
India’s bowling attack has already made its mark on the ongoing tour by dismissing the hosts for 286 in the first innings of Cape Town Test. In fact, the visitors could have restricted the hosts to a lower total had AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis not added a century-plus stand to bail the side out of trouble after it got reduced to 12 for three.
Wessels further said Virat Kohli’s aggressive captaincy had made a difference to the team’s fortunes.
“Yes, definitely. Virat is aggressive, he’s positive, and that has rubbed off on the team. Obviously, Virat likes leading from the front… He injects that high dose of self-belief as well,” he said.
Meanwhile, the third day’s play of the series-opener was washed out without a ball being bowled.
Here is the news feed:
SA vs IND 2018, 1st Test: Harbhajan Singh Lauds Hardik Pandya After Cape Town Heroics
SA vs IND 2018: Virat Kohli’s Form Will Be Very Important for the Side – Sourav Ganguly
Catch India’s tour to South Africa here.
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