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NEWS India-South Africa Series 2006>India looking to Laxman, Twenty20 win for inspiration 03rd Dec 2006 08.50 IST By Agencies VVS Laxman's return to the one-day fold and their first win on the tour from a Twenty20 game are expected to lift the sagging morale of the Indians who would get a last chance to redeem some pride in the ODI series in the fifth and final match in Centurion on Sunday. Having already conceded the five-match rubber 3-0 to the hosts, the Indians would be desperate to escape the ignominy of a complete whitewash and finish on a positive note ahead of the start of the three-Test series.
The biggest stumbling block in their quest for a win has been the form of openers Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Wasim Jaffer. The trio put together has produced only 66 runs from seven innings between them. Tendulkar (38 from three games), Sehwag (18 from two) and Jaffer (10 from two) have proved little better than sitting ducks against the pace and bounce of the South African quicks. That the rivals in Graeme Smith (1 from 3 innings) and Loots Bosman (28 from games) have probably fared worse is little consolation, as the Indians don't have a back up to offset the disadvantage of early overs. The tourists are hoping that the return of Laxman would surely brighten up the picture even though the stylish right-hander would straightaway be thrust into the heat of battle. There is also hope in the improving form of Dinesh Mongia and Dinesh Kaarthick who showed the stomach to fight in Wanderers and should start as automatic choices in the playing eleven. Mongia, due to leave home after the one-day series, would be keen do his best to remind everyone of his ability. Mohammad Kaif, who was not picked for the Twenty20 game, might also get another chance at the venue where he played a sterling hand in India's win over New Zealand in the 2003 World Cup which booked its passage into the semi-finals. Indeed, India have only happy memories from the venue where they have twice beaten South Africa in one-day internationals and also led that memorable assault against Pakistan in the 2003 World Cup. Bowling is India's least concern with Zaheer Khan and S Sreesanth looking more than adequate and Irfan Pathan showing glimpses of return to form. Munaf Patel continues to be on the bench with a sore left ankle and Ajit Agarkar most certainly has bowled his last ball of the tour after having picked a groin injury. Patel, according to stand-in captain Virender Sehwag, continues to feel pain in his ankle. But he is expected to be fit in time for the Tests. Injuries have been India's bane on the tour with skipper Rahul Dravid still recovering from a finger injury and Sehwag, Munaf and Agarkar also joining the list at one time or the other. Despite its overwhelming 3-0 advantage, there are creased furrows on the foreheads of the South Africans whose batting in this series has been wanting in several areas. In all the three games, South Africa have been rescued by one individual innings -- be it centurions Jacques Kallis and Justin Kemp or Herschelle Gibbs who was left stranded seven short of his century in Port Elizabeth. Such rearguard action has been devastatingly backed up by its pacemen and top-notch work in the field. But for three overs of spin from Smith, South Africans have only deployed its pacemen who have picked up all the 29 wickets to fall. Shaun Pollock has been at the forefront of wreckage caused, claiming eight wickets at a superb average of 8.25. His economy rate of 2.53 is also eye-popping. In contrast Makhaya Ntini, long believed to be the fulcrum around whom South African attack revolves, has claimed just three wickets from three games at 26.33 and he would like to set the record straight on a pitch which has traditionally been a lively, bouncy strip. Teams (from): India: Virender Shewag (Capt.), Sachin Tendulkar , VVS Laxman , Mohammad Kaif , Dinesh Mongia , Dinesh Kaarthick , Mahendra Dhoni , Irfan Pathan , Anil Kumble , Harbhajan Singh , S Sreesanth and Zaheer Khan . South Africa: Graeme Smith (Capt.), Loots Bosman, Jacques Henry Kallis , AB de Villiers, Herschelle Gibbs , Justin Kemp , Mark Verdon Boucher , Shaun Maclean Pollock , Andre Nel, Charles Langeveldt, Makhaya Ntini and Robin Peterson. Umpires: Billy Doctrove (WI) and Ian Howell (RSA) Third umpire: Brian Jerling (RSA) Match Referee: Chris Broad (Eng). Also View In-Depth Coverage: India-South Africa Series 2006 Team Page: India Team Page: South Africa | LIVE CRICKET COVERAGE NEWS ~ Gilchrist has no plans to retire after World Cup ~ Ganguly's new batting approach may cost him sixer record ~ India 'squash the Orange' in World Cup warm-up game ~ Symonds gets a new hairdo for World Cup ~ Dhoni readies himself for stand-up act at World Cup (more in NEWS) FACE-TO-FACE ~ 500-mark a possibility in World Cup: Hayden ~ Minnows add charm to World Cup: Dravid (more in FACE-TO-FACE) COLUMNS ~ Will Sri Lanka replicate 1996 World Cup success? (more in COLUMNS) OFF-THE-FIELD ~ Ganguly again the darling of corporate world ~ Ganguly roped in as brand ambassador of Puma (more in OFF-THE-FIELD) PLAYERS Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble (more PLAYERS) TEAMS India, South Africa, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Australia, West Indies, Zimbabwe, England, New Zealand, Bangladesh, Kenya, Holland | 
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