South Africa Has A Daunting Task On Dusty Tracks

Pitch for the first Test is bald, dry and sports a light brown hue

- S. Dinakar

The breeze from the Bay of Bengal and a shimmering coastline overlooked by sweeping mountains make Visakhapatnam both picturesque and pleasant.

It’s a serene city that soothes your senses and the South African cricketers relished the clear view of the sea from the team hotel even as the light gradually faded in the evening.

But then, a different, more demanding and a rather daunting reality awaits the Proteas in this charming port city.

The surface for the opening Test, beginning Wednesday, would have surely reminded the South Africans the perils of combating spin on dusty tracks.

The pitch for the first of the three Tests, is bald, dry and sporting a light brown hue. The track is sure to assist spin.

Different ball game

It will be a different ball game for the Proteas, with the ball turning and jumping, close catchers circling the bat, and vociferous appeals renting the air.