India has a lot of fitness woes going into the Test, the biggest of them being the skipper, Anil Kumble. If he plays, India could go in with three spinners considering the nature of the wicket and Piyush Chawla looks the likely beneficiary.
South Africa captain Graeme Smith, buoyed by his side's thumping win at Motera a few days back, is unperturbed about what the Green Park pitch hold in store for his team in the final Test against India, beginning Friday.
India captain Anil Kumble will make a call on his fitness on Friday morning, before the third and final Test against South Africa. He said he will play only if he can bowl.
India's first ever Test win over Australia in December 1959 at the Green Park ground, in Kanpur, is probably one historic moment that remains consigned to the record books. towards Jasubhai Patel, the off-spinner took 14 wickets and was instrumental in ensuring India's victory.
South African coach Mickey Arthur feels the wicket at Green Park, the venue for the third and final Test, is going to break early and will deteriorate as the match progresses.
And at no other point was legendary Indian spinner Subhash Gupte's brilliance more evident than in the first innings of the second Test at Green Park in December 1958. He returned with career-best figures of 9 for 102.
The veteran right-hander said India's goal is to be the best Test team in the world and that starts with the home series against South Africa. He believes that if India performs as it did in Australia there is no way why they cannot achieve it.
As expected, it took North Zone just one session to retain their Duleep Trophy title, and in the process win the competition for a record 17th time.
It would be an understatement to say that North Zone is favourites to retain their Duleep Trophy title.
Out of the game for more than a year because of injury, all-rounder Andrew Flintoff is on the comeback trail with the England Lions in India.
North Zone rallied after being reduced to 274 for 9 to take a 66 runs first innings lead over West on Day 2 of the Duleep Trophy final.
After consistent performances this season Vikram Raj Vir Singh is back in the reckoning for a regular place in the Indian Test team.
North Zone were 53 without loss, in reply to West's 274, on the opening day of the Duleep Trophy final.
The Kolkata medium pacer, who picked 57 wickets last season, believes his haul of 26 wickets this season, though lesser, is still formidable.
East Zone beat South Zone by 68 runs on the fourth and final day of their Duleep Trophy league match to set up a virtual semi-final with North Zone in their last league match.
Orissa's wicketkeeper-batsman Haladhar Das has impressed all in his Duleep Trophy debut against South Zone.
South Zone dismissed East for a modest 163 in the second Innings, after conceding a lead of 109 runs, and then scored 113 for three wickets by close on the penultimate day of the Duleep Trophy match, chasing 273 for victory in a minimum of 120 overs.
East Zone skittled out South Zone cheaply to take a handy 109-run first innings lead on Day 2 of the Duleep Trophy Group A league match.
Captain Shiv Sunder Das (82) and wicketkeeper Haladhar Das (78 not out) ensured East Zone reach a respectable total (265/7) at close of play on the opening day of the Duleep Trophy Group A match at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday.
Delhi's triumph in the Ranji Trophy was a show of character, something not seen in their teams of recent years.
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