India vs SA: It was never meant to be 'pitch' perfect

With a record that was anything to be proud of, the only way India could have won the ongoing Test series against South Africa was by using 'home advantage' to the optimum, says Bikash Mohapatra/Rediff.com.

A lot has been written about the nature of the pitches in the ongoing India-South Africa series. A lot of newsprint and bandwidth too has been wasted on the reactions to the same.

While Australian and English players, and experts on the game, have blasted the pitches used in the series thus far, their Indian counterparts expectedly haven't taken kindly to the criticism.

Amid all the hullaballoo pertaining to the pitches there is one point we are missing out on completely. That it was never meant to be 'pitch' perfect; it was always about winning the series!

At a time when Test teams wear their home records like armour, the Indian team had a not-so-enviable record against the visiting South Africans. Going into the ongoing four-match series, the South Africans had won as many as five Tests in India as the home nation. Besides, they had not lost a Test series on Indian soil in 11 years.

Mind you, during this period the Indian team had twice blanked the formidable Australians. More importantly, in the last two series it was the home team that had to come from behind to square the rubber.

The South Africans - having already won the ODI series and the T20s - were the more confident side going into the Tests. In an interview to rediff.com last month, former India and South Africa coach Gary Kirsten oozed confidence about the visitors’ chances, declaring: 'Of course, we will win.'

With a record that was anything to be proud of, it was imperative for the Indians to win this series, no matter how. And the only way they could have done it was by using ‘home advantage’ to the optimum.

It’s no secret that Indian batsmen struggle against the moving ball – their appalling overseas record a case in point. Even on the rare occasion when Indian pitches have had a bit of movement, it spelled doom for the home side.

The South Africans benefited on two such instances: the innings and 90 runs defeat (inside three days) in the Motera Test during the 2008 series, and the innings and six runs reverse in Nagpur in the 2010 series.

On both instances it was turning tracks that came to the home team's rescue later on.

So, having rank turners was Team India's lone alternative this time. That the pitches used thus far have turned from the first day have only ensured an added advantage.

Secondly, it was also about having the bragging rights.

At a time when most Test teams win comfortably at home, but struggle on tour, the South Africans had an enviable record away from home.

They had not lost an away Test series in nine years. Since losing in Sri Lanka in 2006 they had gone undefeated in 15 away series, winning 10 of them, an impressive record by any stretch of imagination.

Now, this series win gives India the bragging rights. In a few years no one will remember the quality of the pitches used in the series. What fans will recollect, though, is the fact that it was the Indian team that ended the South Africans' impressive away record.