Proteas prepare to avenge embarrassment against India with ‘revenge pitch’
You had to feel sorry for Murali Vijay and Vernon Philander at Newlands on Wednesday. Between them they have played exactly a century of tests‚ scored 4,896 runs — among them 11 centuries and 22 half-centuries — and taken 174 wickets‚ featuring two 10-wicket-hauls and 11 five-wicket bags. Philander has been ranked the top bowler in the game‚ Vijay as high as 11th among batsmen. Despite all that hard-earned achievement‚ just about all a roomful of reporters wanted to talk to them about was something that won’t answer any questions until the first ball of the series is bowled at 10.30am on Friday. It’s the pitch‚ stupid. Much has been made of SA wanting to avenge the defeats they suffered on the shocking surfaces prepared on their tour to India in November 2011, and the fact that India have brought five fast bowlers and an all-rounder to SA to try to fight the anticipated fire with fire. There is the presumption that India’s batsmen are much improved against quality quicks‚ although t...
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