India vs South Africa, 3rd Test: India eye clean sweep against South Africa

RANCHI: The ICC World Test Championship is supposed to provide a much-needed context to bilateral Test series. Some relief that because the gulf between the teams playing the third Test here, starting Saturday, is enough to demoralize a team that has already lost the series. Forty points still up for grabs mean that South Africa have something to play for.
That is where the hope for a real contest lies.But that hope does not seem to have shaken this city which generally sees a mad rush for tickets on the eve of an international match.

The empty ticket counters and roads surrounding the stadium suggest those 40 points are only in the minds of the cricketers, not spectators. To them it is still a dead rubber. Neither the aura of Virat Kohli, nor the wizardry of Jadeja-Ashwin has been able to create the craze a white-ball match does here. When innumerable fours and sixes are not on the menu, you at least need two evenly matched sides to woo the crowd at a venue which is not a traditional Test match centre.
But the lack of penetration showed by South African bowlers and the absence of determination in their batsmen in the first two Tests has made this lukewarm response a reality. So much so that the Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA)'s distribution of 5000 free tickets among the men in uniform as well as in schools and colleges of the state is unlikely to fill the stands.

Under the circumstances, it is commendable that South African skipper Faf du Plessis has retained his sense of humour. Asked what all his side needs to do if they are to finish this series on a high, he said, "Hoping that we can start with the toss tomorrow. Probably we can try and send someone else to toss (chuckle), because my record so far hasn't been great."
His counterpart Virat Kohli has not had any such problems in a long time. He has been winning tosses and matches with consummate ease and there is no question of lack of motivation as he is somebody who never gets tired of succeeding. Moreover, when your aim is to be counted among the best teams in the history of the game, why would you lack motivation?
When the great Brian Lara says you are "the ultimate captain," and adds that your bowling attack reminds him of the great West Indies attacks of the 1980s and 90s, then all you want to do is live up to those accolades.

That is what Kohli & Co. will look to do from Friday. They are not just playing against a South African team that is yet to come up with replacements for stalwarts like Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers. Kagiso Rabada is still too young to lead the attack in the subcontinent.
The loss of Keshav Maharaj has worsened the Proteas' position. Aiden Markram, who had to fly back after hurting himself and breaking a wrist bone out of frustration, is likely to be replaced by the one-Test old Zubayr Hamza.
The pitch, going by Du Plessis and Wriddhiman Saha's assessment, is likely to be a typical Indian wicket where quick bowlers will get some early assistance and batsmen will have a good time, only to be exploited by spinners later in the game.
The sad part is, even if South Africa make a match of it, there will not be many appreciating eyes around. If Kohli or Rohit Sharma do something more remarkable than what they have already done, their names will not be chanted by a stadium full of admirers. Test cricket surely needs more than a championship and names, numbers on the players' shirts to stay alive.
Nadeem in: Senior Jharkhand spinner Shahbaz Nadeem, who has a 10-wicket haul in List A cricket, has been added to India's Test squad after Kuldeep Yadav complained of shoulder pain.