Rattled by the Durban debacle and stinging criticism from angry fans back home, a beleaguered India goes into the third One-Day International against South Africa in Cape Town on Sunday unsure of team composition and a batting order that can deliver the goods on bouncy tracks.
The famed India batting line-up has come a cropper much too often and captain Rahul Dravid and coach Greg Chappell, both of whom are under enormous pressure, will literally burn the midnight oil to come up with a solution to deal with the battery of South African pacemen.
It will be a real test of character for the batsmen; another slip-up will only lead to a fresh uproar among fans and parliamentarians, many of whom have called for the sacking of Chappell.
Although Dravid has always claimed that his batsmen have the capability to counter these fast and bouncy tracks, it is high time they show the skills, as another defeat would leave the Indians on the rack.
A sore ankle to paceman Munaf Patel has only compounded India's misery ahead of the crucial match.
No doubt, the humiliating 157-run loss in second one-dayer in Durban would be rankling the Indian team management as the batsmen were at their wit's end in that match, not being able to find any way to handle the rampaging Proteas speedsters.
Moreover, the urgency showed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India in asking chairman of the selection committee Dilip Vengsarkar to proceed to South Africa on a damage-control mission would pile the pressure on the cricketers.
However, after seeing the grassless pitch at the Newlands, the visitors must be hoping to put the big defeat behind and gain some confidence for the remaining part of the series.
Virender Sehwag, who sustained a finger injury before the start of a warm-up match in Benoni on November 16, is still not 100 per cent fit and it remains to be seen if he is included in the team. The Delhi opener sat out of the second match and his absence again will upset the balance of the team.
The Indians would be looking to send a solid batsman in the crucial number three slot. After trying out all-rounder Irfan Pathan for a while, they promoted Mohammad Kaif to that position in the last game, but it did not fetch the desired results.
Indeed whispers from the Indian quarters suggest that Dravid wanted to bat at number three, but Chappell's suggestion that he be at number four prevailed in the second one-dayer in Kingsmead.
There would be inevitable changes in the line-up as Pathan is likely to be drafted in as a fire-fighting measure.
A recovering Sehwag would be deemed a better option than Wasim Jaffer for whom one-day cricket is absolutely a new, untried diet.
Pathan would be required for conditions in Cape Town which may not allow Tendulkar to bowl 10 overs. The Baroda all-rounder could replace either Dinesh Mongia or Suresh Raina, most likely the latter as the Punjab batsman has some experience of these conditions.
Mongia was part of India's squad in the 2003 World Cup and given his vast experience of county conditions in England, not to forget his left-arm spin, he could find himself in the playing eleven.
The team management was at pains to stress that Munaf would be alright for the battle tomorrow, but the way the paceman has moved in recent times suggests that his fitness is bound to become an issue very soon.
For the South Africans, the challenge is of completely different kind. Captain Graeme Smith is keen that the top batsmen recover their poise and is looking for his side to improve its performance by 20 to 30 per cent.
It would not surprise anyone if pace gun Dale Steyn, who rattled the Indians in the tour opener, is drafted late into the squad.
However, the hosts are a little worked up over the absence of any form on the part of usually reliable Herschelle Gibbs. The Western Province player would be hoping to recover his touch in conditions which have been home for him for long.
Teams (from):
India: Rahul Dravid (Capt), Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Mohammad Kaif, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Dinesh Mongia, Irfan Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Munaf Patel, Sreesanth, Zaheer Khan, Ajit Agarkar, Suresh Raina, Wasim Jaffer, Anil Kumble.
South Africa: Graeme Smith, Loots Bosman, Jacques Kallis, Herschelle Gibbs, AB de Villiers, Mark Boucher, Justin Kemp, Shaun Pollock, Andre Nel, Charles Langeveldt, Robin Peterson and Makhaya Ntini.
Umpires: Billy Doctrove (WI) and Brian Jerling (RSA)
Third umpire: Ian Howell (RSA)
Match referee: Chris Broad (Eng)
