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Focus back on the field

First India-S Africa Test starts today

CRICInFO, Chennai
Quotas and colour, senior and junior -- they are the controversies that have been part of South Africa and India's build-up to the firstTest in Chennai that starts today.
South Africa's controversial quota-based selection policy exploded during their win in Bangladesh with Andre Nel reacting strongly to his exclusion from the tour of India, while Charl Langeveldt later opted out because he did not want the tag of a quota player.
India's historic CB Series victory in Australia reignited the senior-junior debate that has been a rage ever since Mahendra Singh Dhoni led a young squad to T\venty20 glory in South Africa.
However, the Indian team that will take the field against South Africa will be their tried and tested Test veterans. They've performed superbly in recent series -- winning a Test in South Africa and Australia, and the series in England and against Pakistan.
South Africa are also on a hot streak — they won in Pakistan, came from behind to beat West Indies at home and thumped Bangladesh. The contest which begins today at the Chidambaram Stadium could be billed as the fight for No 2. South Africa have toppled Australia from top spot in the one-day rankings: a win in India will boost their Test rankings as well.
Wasim Jaffer's place at the top of the order is under the spotlight after six consecutive failures in the Test series in Australia where he scored 49 runs in three Tests. He was in excellent form in the home series against Pakistan, when he scored a double-century and two fifties. The pressure will be on Jaffer, for if he fails in the Tests against South Africa, Gautam Gambhir is a strong contender for his spot.
It takes a special bowler to beat
Allan Donald to 100 Test wickets, and Dale Steyn has done precisely that: he took his 100th wicket in his 20th Test, against Bangladesh in Chittagong, at an average of 21 apiece.
Apart from tearing through New Zealand and West Indies at home, Steyn has also adapted to extremely different conditions in Pakistan and Bangladesh and taken 23 wickets at less than 20 apiece in four Tests in those two countries. He's quick through the air, which reduces his dependence on the pitch, and possesses a well-disguised slower yorker that has uprooted the stumps on several occasions. Trying to run through a strong Indian batting line-up on their home turf will be his toughest challenge yet.
India's top order picks itself, with Virender Sehwag and Jaffer at the top and Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and WS Laxman in the middle. India are likely to field two spinners in Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh, which means there would be no place for Irfan Pathan unless the management decides to play him as a new-ball bowler instead of either Rudra Pratap Singh or Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, or asks him to open instead of Jaffer. Both scenarios are equally unlikely. TEAMS
INDIA (probable): Virender Sehwag. Wasim Jaffer, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, WS Laxman, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Anil Kumble (captain), Harbhajan Singh, Rudra Pratap Singh, Shanthakumaran Sreesanth.
SOUTH AFRICA (probable): Neil McKenzie, Graeme Smith (captain), I iashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, Ashwell Prince, AB de Villiers, Mark Boucher, Morne Morkel, Paul Harris, Dale Steyn, MakhayaNtlni. Umpires: Asad Rauf andTony Hill.