South Africa vs India Tests 2013: 5 battles that will decide the series outcome

Jacques Kallis vs Ravichandran Ashwin

Without a shadow of a doubt, Kallis is one of the most dominant right-handers when it comes to playing spin bowling. He can sweep, dance down the track and loft it over mid-on and mid-off, play the pull shot to good effect and is a hot cup of coffee to handle for any spinner in world cricket.

On the other hand, Ashwin has all the trickery to bamboozle any top-class batsmen in world cricket and is a proven performer for India in the Test arena. After failing to live up to the expectations in his first overseas tour of Australia, the microscopic eyes will firmly monitor the way Ashwin goes about his business, and how much can he prove to be a vital cog in India’s scheme of things.

With Kallis slotted at no.4 in the South African batting lineup, Ashwin will have to take the responsibility of curbing the South African all-rounder from going all guns blazing and dismissing him early on in his innings. Ashwin also has the responsibility of giving stability to the Indian bowling attack, which doesn’t solely rely on it’s pace bowlers, unlike the South Africans.

It’s going to be fascinating to see how Ashwin rises up to the challenge that the South African all-rounder will throw at him with the bat.