Allan
Donald has paid a massive tribute to Mahendra Singh Dhoni's young Team India
saying this is an outfit that can look the opponent in the eye. Unlike previous
Indian squads which found pace and bounce difficult to handle, Donald feels the
current team will not be intimidated by South African pitches and their
traditional bounce and pace. Speaking to DNA, Donald, now a TV commentator,
said: "The best thing I like about India now is that they have hardened
up. They are no more that team that used to come to South Africa and were left
intimidated by our pitches -- the bounce and the pace. The difference is in
their approach. They have a killer instinct going and a lot of young blood has
changed perceptions.
India
arrived in Johannesburg on Monday for a three-ODI and two-Test series. The
series, drastically curtailed due to a myriad of administrative issues between
the Indian cricket Board and its South African counterpart, will be a
mouth-watering affair with India as the world's leading ODI team and South
Africa, No. 1 in the ICC Test rankings. Donald reckons this India team must be
treated with great respect and had the ability to live with a Sachin Tendulkar.
Virat
Kohli, of course, will be the man in the spotlight. Many see the prolific
Kohli, the No. 1 ODI batsman in the world, as the man to fill Tendulkar's big
shoes and Donald is no different. "Look how well Virat Kohli is playing. I
feel Kohli seems to step into the shoes Sachin left behind. I know it is
impossible to replace a legend like him but Kohli has been amazing. His recent
records speak about his talent," Donald said.
With more
than 600 international wickets, Donald was known for lethal pace and his
run-ins with the world's best batsmen Known as White Lighting, Donald feels
Indian bowlers are well equipped to exploit the conditions in South Africa. The
47-year-old former star picks out Mohammed Shami Ahmed for special mention and
says with a white Kookaburra ball in his hand, "he will run in hard."
Donald said: "I am really impressed with Mohammad Shami. He looks like a
tough guy. He executes the swing pretty good."
Backing
Zaheer Khan for his rich experience, Pune Warriors coach Donald says
Bhuvneshwar Kumar will be a handful too. "He can reverse the ball both
ways and they can be handy. If he generates some bounce, he will do good in
South Africa," said Donald. Considering Donald's analysis, it will be
foolish to say India will go in as the underdogs. With their batsmen in prime
form, India's bowlers will be no punching bags.
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