Resurgent India face enigmatic South Africa

South Africa, on the other hand, decimated Bangladesh. But all records against Bangladesh should be struck off the Test statistics anyway, so they don’t really count.

However, while India can say that they were not destroyed by Australia in the Test series, a couple of things seem to have been forgotten in the heat and dust of battle, more off the field than on it. For starters, India began with a huge loss, going down by 337 runs at Melbourne.

And while the Sydney Test had all and sundry clamouring that we were robbed by the umpires, the fact remains that the Indian batting line-up, touted to be the best in the world, could not hold out for three sessions on the last day.

Cricket South Africa CEO Gerald Majola recently said that his side would ‘thump’ India, a statement that raised much mirth at home. But while he may have spoken more with enthusiasm than any real conviction, South Africa is not a side to be taken lightly, not least against India, home or away.

Indian cricket is on a high, in terms of some results, and a lot of money. It is almost inevitable that Test cricket will take a beating, in this age of Twenty20 games, and now the Indian Premier League.

But while it lasts, it can still be an intriguing drama, which hopefully will begin, when the first ball is bowled in Chennai.