South Africa rely on their fast men

Makhaya Ntini: leader of a charged-up pace attack keen to make a show of India © Getty Images

A little over eight months ago, Makhaya Ntini produced a devastating spell under lights as Australia were skittled out for 93 at Newlands, and similar pace-friendly conditions in Durban are likely to influence India to play seven batsmen (including Mahendra Singh Dhoni) in the second match of the series. With Virender Sehwag still nursing a sore hand, Sachin Tendulkar could be called on for some seam-up bowling should the rain, which again threatens to disrupt play as it did at the Wanderers on Sunday, relent on Wednesday.

Mickey Arthur, South Africa's coach, made it amply clear that his team would target the Indians with pace, and they have released Boeta Dippenaar from the 14-man squad that was picked for the opening game. But South Africa too have a history of batting frailty when the ball moves around - Stuart Clark routed them in last year's Newlands Test , and Kyle Mills inspired an emphatic New Zealand victory in the Champions Trophy - and some of the grass seen on the pitch on Tuesday could be clipped away before the game starts.

With the evening conditions providing extra incentive to the pace bowlers, the toss will be crucial. Over the past few seasons, and especially during the 2003 World Cup, the winning formula for Kingsmead usually meant putting a decent total on the board and then unleashing the fast men to scupper the run chase. In Munaf Patel, Irfan Pathan, Zaheer Khan and Ajit Agarkar, India have some options of their own, even if they're not in the Ntini-Pollock class.

If Tendulkar and Sehwag do fill up the fifth-bowler quota, Dinesh Mongia is almost certain to get a game at No.7. And with Zaheer having emerged with credit from the tour game at Benoni, Agarkar could be the one to miss out on the XI. Despite this being no spinners' paradise, Harbhajan Singh's recent displays more or less seal his place in the side.

South Africa will leave the slow bowling to Graeme Smith, if needed, and opt for an all-pace attack in conditions that are likely to be overcast with all the rain about. With the breeze from the Indian Ocean an additional factor to consider, a line-up of Ntini, Pollock, Andre Nel, Jacques Kallis and Charl Langeveldt is a frightening prospect.

On his first tour here in 1996-97, Rahul Dravid revealed glimpses of his class with a fine second-innings display even as India were shot out for 100 and 66 in a Test match. Not long after, he played a wonderful knock in a lost cause in an ODI while an irate Allan Donald let fly with a volley of abuse. The leader of the pack will need to set the tone for his players in this series, and then hope that some of the youngsters show the same sort of resolve that he did all those years ago.

Teams
South Africa (likely): 1 Graeme Smith (capt), 2 Loots Bosman, 3 Herschelle Gibbs, 4 Jacques Kallis, 5 AB de Villiers, 6 Mark Boucher (wk), 7 Justin Kemp, 8 Shaun Pollock, 9 Charl Langeveldt, 10 Andre Nel, 11 Makhaya Ntini.

India (likely): 1 Sachin Tendulkar, 2 Virender Sehwag, 3 Mohammad Kaif, 4 Rahul Dravid (capt), 5 Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wk), 6 Suresh Raina, 7 Dinesh Mongia, 8 Irfan Pathan 9 Harbhajan Singh, 10 Zaheer Khan, 11 Munaf Patel.