Fanie de Villiers, former South African pacer, believes India has a 65% chance to win the Test series in the absence of Mohammed Shami. Despite Shami’s injury leaving a void, de Villiers praises the Indian pace unit, particularly Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, for their ability to focus on line rather than length. De Villiers sees this as India’s best chance ever to secure a Test series win in South Africa.
In an interview with PTI, de Villiers, who once troubled iconic batsmen like Sachin Tendulkar, emphasizes the significance of bowlers who can maintain the right line. He commends India’s current pace attack for possessing the skill to bowl on the imaginary ‘fifth’ or ‘sixth’ off-stump line, crucial in winning Tests.
“India have been coming for many years but very few of your fast bowlers were line bowlers. But now you have Bumrah and Siraj. Yes, I agree that Shami not playing makes a massive difference. But Siraj and Bumrah are bowlers who can bowl line, whereas South African bowlers bowl from off to leg stump,” he said.
De Villiers notes the absence of line bowlers in previous Indian attacks but sees a positive change with the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj. While acknowledging Mohammed Shami absence as significant, he believes India’s chances are strong.
“I think, India have a 65 percent chance of winning this Test series,” he declared when asked if he considers it a 50-50 contest in Shami’s absence,” de Villiers added.
When discussing South African bowler Rabada, de Villiers rates him on par with Dale Steyn, emphasizing Rabada’s early start in professional cricket. Knowing the Centurion track well, de Villiers anticipates a thrilling game and gives India a 65% chance of victory.
On tackling Virat Kohli, de Villiers suggests a patient approach, urging the South African team to focus on the fourth stump channel and wait for opportunities. Drawing a parallel with Tendulkar, he emphasizes the need to be disciplined when dealing with top batters.
Reflecting on his era and the IPL, de Villiers acknowledges the difficulty of surviving in the T20 format. He expresses a hypothetical interest in the IPL, citing his ability to bowl yorkers and slower deliveries, which he believes would have made him an effective player in the innovative category.
While de Villiers admits missing out on the IPL, he expresses gratitude for a fulfilling career and highlights the importance of being innovative to thrive in the fast-paced T20 format.
