Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni looks at the ball during the Indian practice session at Kingsmead in Durban Image Credit: AP
Durban, South Africa: India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni faces one of the biggest challenges of his career when his team take on South Africa in the second Test which starts at Kingsmead on Sunday.
Since being appointed captain of India in 2008, Dhoni has enjoyed almost uninterrupted success at Test level, with his team unbeaten in nine series and rising to No 1 in the International Cricket Council rankings.
Former number one side Australia have been beaten twice, while England, Sri Lanka and New Zealand have also tasted defeat. But all those series have been in India.
India have gained away series wins against New Zealand and Bangladesh but both opponents are a long way from being regarded as heavyweights. A series in Sri Lanka was shared and India also shared the honours in a home series against South Africa.
Critics have pointed out that India have reached the top of the cricketing pile without having played away against the likes of Australia, England, or South Africa.
India go into the second Test smarting after a defeat by an innings and 25 runs in the first Test at Centurion where South Africa lost only four wickets.
After the match Dhoni said India took heart from a fighting performance in the second innings, when they scored 459 runs and extended the match into the fifth day.
Below par
But Dhoni admitted India's first innings batting and the side's bowling were below par.
Dhoni was scheduled to hold his pre-match captain's press conference yesterday when most South Africans will be celebrating Christmas Day.
But coach Gary Kirsten, a former batting star for South Africa, said on Thursday that India had prepared well — despite criticism that they took two days off after the first Test.
Can India bounce back on the lively Durban pitch? Will Zaheer Khan's inclusion bring some muscle power to India’s bowling attack?
