Still smarting from the attack Virender Sehwag launched on their bowlers in Chennai, South Africa are planning to pepper the Indian opener with short balls and cramp him for space in the second Test starting in Ahmedabad on Thursday.
South African coach Micky Arthur, while maintaining that Sehwag played a fantastic innings, said the Delhi batsman, who scored the fastest triple hundred in Tests (319 off 304 balls) in the drawn first Test, would be in for some chin music at the Motera.
"We had a look at Sehwag's fantastic innings. We saw that he played his first pull shot after scoring 312," Arthur thold reporters in Ahmedabad on Tuesday.
"He cuts the ball very well. We plan to target him with short balls into his body and cramp him for space and see how he takes it."
Asked how his fast bowlers will make the plan work if the wickets do not respond well to fast bowling, Arthur said "We will have to wait and watch for the first ball to be bowled on how the wicket is. At the moment it looks good with some grass on it. But it may be a bit slow. The heat is also dry heat and we are used to similar conditions at home, like in Cape Town and Johannesburg."
Arthur also tried to put behind the issue of the SG brand of balls that is being used in the Test series and said since the team has been here for 15 days the players have hopefully become accustomed to it.
"It's a contentious issue. I can't say whether we have got used to them. We have been here for two weeks and hopefully got used to it. It would be interesting to see how the ball behaves here on the lush green outfield, whether it reverses. Hopefully the pitch will help the seamers."
Lavishing praise on his batsmen for their fine display in Chennai, Arthur said the Proteas' line-up had gained from their previous tours to the sub-continent and was now comfortable playing spin bowling.
"We have played a lot in the sub-continent. We have kept the same top six in the batting order. We are comfortable playing spin bowling.
"We have a very balanced bowling attack. We have also a very good spinner in Paul Harris, who is probably the most under-rated spinner. He was a bit nervous in Chennai."
He maintained that the visitors were not under any psychological pressure after the blitz from Sehwag.
"We have probably taken more positives from the first Test. The top order performed. We have bowlers who can take 20 wickets."
The South African coach thought that India had enough bench strength in the batting department, with Yuvraj Singh and Mohammed Kaif waiting in the wings, but the point of interest would be whether the home team wouls field five bowlers.
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