Having conquered Australia, not once but twice in successive tours, India have one frontier left in Test cricket — South Africa, the Rainbow Nation, as coined so beautifully by Archbishop Desmond Tutu in 1994. Two years before that, in 1992, India rolled out the red carpet so generously to welcome South Africa back to international cricket after over two decades of exile.
The discrimination of Basil D'Oliveira by South Africa's apartheid regime forced the world to 'segregate' one of the proudest and most talented cricket teams. Now, circa 2021, racism still prevails and South African cricket remains on the tenterhooks as an inquiry found three legends of the game "engaging in racial discrimination".
And the latest edition of the 'Freedom' series [don't get lost in the name and read: Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela] will be played against the backdrop of racism and also a pandemic that has seen its omicron variant emerge from South Africa. So, when South Africa and India start their three-match series with the Boxing Day Test at SuperSport Park, Centurion on December 26, cricket will not be the only focus.
The Proteas have since earned a host of nicknames, including that of chockers, but they are the least of it when it comes to hosting India. Now, the visitors sense a rare opportunity to set the record straight. In the recent past, South Africa cricket has seen some of its greatest players hanging their boots. When India last toured South Africa, the Proteas line-up featured a veritable list of legends — AB de Villiers, Hasim Amla, Dale Steyn, Faf du Plessis, Vernon Philander, etc. Now, it's a new team.
Also, India are now the most dominant force in world cricket — the board, the money, the clout, and the players themselves. A side featuring Virat Kohli, Ravichandran Ashwin, Rishabh Pant, Jasprit Bumrah, etc is expected to win everywhere. But Test cricket in South Africa is different, at least for the Indians as witnessed in the previous seven tours. A series win is all that India need to start a new narrative, to give legitimacy to their global dominance in the sport.
So what are India doing? What is their plan? How will they execute it?
Now with a new head coach and with a different approach, India will have their first overseas challenge in South Africa. India, if going by the available personnel on either camp, will start as the slight favourites. And one man who holds the key to India's success is Rahul Dravid, the new head coach. Kohli is there, to take the bull by the horns in the arena, as always. But in the dug-out, there's a new boss.
Also, with Kohli having his share of unwanted press, and thus cautiously avoiding it so far since landing in South Africa, Dravid's role becomes even more important. To start with. he really doesn't really "try to focus on them or worry about winning or losing the series." Some madness in method, one would say for a team which has in the recent past have become obsessed with winning. A different approach!
"My expectation as a coach simply is that the boys prepare well and we compete. That is all I am expecting them to do - be good with our preparations and we make an effort to compete and give ourselves the best chance," Dravid told the BCCI on the eve of the match.
But he is ready to harness that winning mentality. For the record, Dravid is the one who led India to their first-ever Test win in South Africa, in December 2005. India have since won only two, one in 2010 under MS Dhoni, and Kohli in 2018.
"The results will look after themselves, I don't really try to focus on them or worry about winning or losing the series, sometimes a lot of that is not in your control. But certainly, the preparation, the intensity and competitiveness that you can bring on to the field, that grit and determination... if we can show them throughout the series, that's all I can ask for," said Dravid.
In those seven tours, starting 1992, India had played 20 matches, losing half of those. There were seven draws, a majority of which have been scrappy ones for India. Dravid knows the challenges but sees an opportunity.
"It's not easy, it's one of the most challenging places to play cricket and South Africa do play very well at home. We'll have to be at our best and all the boys recognise that. It's an opportunity but it's not going to come easy," said Dravid.
The series, a part of the ongoing ICC World Test Championship 2021-23 cycle, will be played behind closed doors. But all the matches, including the following three-match ODIs, will be televised live. Fans can also stream online.
Test Squads:
South Africa: Dean Elgar (c), Temba Bavuma (vc), Quinton de Kock (wk), Kagiso Rabada , Sarel Erwee, Beuran Hendricks, George Linde, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Keegan Petersen, Rassie van der Dussen, Kyle Verreynne, Marco Jansen, Glenton Stuurman, Prenelan Subrayen, Sisanda Magala, Ryan Rickelton, Duanne Olivier.
India: Virat Kohli (c), KL Rahul (vc), Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (wk), Wriddhiman Saha (wk), R Ashwin, Jayant Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Mohd. Shami, Umesh Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj.
