There are no chinks in the South African Armour

Every time one feels that the great South African team which developed in the mid 90s and peaked around the time of the World Cup in England would break up, they came up with a set of new players and a string of notable performances to remind us that it is not going to happen that easily. The resilience of the South African side is well known. They have a strong belief in the adage that no match is lost till it is won.

With their formidable array of attacking batsmen, their infinite variety in pace bowling and their by now legendary skills in fielding and catching, the South Africans are second to none - not even World champions Australia - when it comes to displaying their expertise in the intricate field of one day cricket. Even the charge that they choke and falter at the final hurdle when it comes to the big tournaments, no longer sticks. They have effectively covered up that chink in their armour and are already being looked upon as favourites for the 2003 World Cup, to be held in their own backyard, some 18 months from now.

The build up for that campaign has already started and the next stage on that road is the tri series involving India and Kenya as the other teams, which commences in South Africa from October 5. On the face of it, the opposition does not look artillery heavy but knowing the South African approach, they are not likely to look at it that way. In particular they will not take India lightly. Whatever India's limitations and however inconsistent their record, the South Africans have always been wary of them and are aware that no country boasting the likes of Tendulkar, Dravid, Ganguly, Kumble and Srinath should be taken lightly.

Of late, India's record in the limited overs game has been patchy. It is true they have not won a major tournament for long, but they have never really fared badly along the way. Indeed, the charge once held against South Africa of choking at the finish could well apply to India. How else can one explain the unhealthy trend of faltering at the finish line time and again? On talent and reputation, India is good enough to beat any country.

Unfortunately, they do not figure that high in matters of technique, temperament and certain basic skills. These drawbacks were in evidence in the recent contests in Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka. Somehow at home, these deficiencies are covered up, thanks chiefly to superior batting on shirt front strips. Like in Test cricket, India have a better record at home even in ODIs.

But then the coming tournament is to be played away from India, on the fast and bouncy tracks of Johannesburg, East London and Centurion. And, we all have rather unhappy memories of what happened on such wickets in Australia the last time the Indians were `Down Under'. For that matter, they have not fared well on both their tours to the Veldt. Besides losing the Test series both in 1992-93 and 1996-97, the Indians went down in the one day series too, losing 2-5 the first time and being beaten in the final of the Standard Bank tri series to the hosts the second time around.

Indeed, if the South African team has an excellent record overall, they have a particularly formidable record at home. Why, only last season they outplayed a strong Sri Lankan squad by five matches to one. They then went to win the seven match series in the West Indies by five matches to two. Even in the Super Challenge Series in Australia a year ago, they held their own against the world champions, with the three match series ending one all with a tie thrown in.

It goes without saying that South Africa are a balanced all round side. A team comprising players like Gibbs, Kirsten, Kallis, Klusener, Rhodes, Boucher, Dippenaar, Donald, Ntini, Nel and skipper Pollock has all the qualities a formidable outfit requires - skill, experience, and dynamism. There really is no chink in that armour - something borne out by results. Against India alone, the record reads: Played 38, won 24, lost 13. No result one. That gives some idea of what India will be up against next month.

And what do the Indians possess to combat this formidable force? Well, they certainly have the skill and much more experience - if not the dynamism. They are well behind the South Africans in the fielding department. And though the selectors have done well in packing the side with seamers, keeping the conditions in South Africa in mind, the Indian quartet will definitely lag behind the South African pace-men in matters of speed, accuracy and hostility. No doubt Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble are way ahead of whoever the South Africans throw up but unfortunately spin is unlikely to play a major part in the tournament.

With India then behind in the fielding and pace bowling departments - not to mention wicket-keeping where that jack in a box Boucher is bound to have more than an edge over new boy Deep Das Gupta - the only hope for the visitors would be that their classy and seasoned batting line up can put up a big total to cover up for the other deficiencies. But then that is easier said than done against a South African pace attack which will be straining at the leash in helpful conditions. And the Indians have not been helped by the spate of late withdrawals because of injuries to some key players.

Each team play the other three times, so unlike the format in tournaments like the ICC KnockOut, there is some time to make up for a bad game - but not much. The battle for the title is clearly between India and South Africa. One feels that Kenya, despite the advances they have made in recent times and the individual flair that some of the players possess, will be there just to make up the numbers.