India have a lot of work to do if they want to level the series against a rampant looking South Africa. South Africa thrashed India by an innings in the first Test at Centurion and are prime contenders to win the next one as well. The second Test starts at Kingsmead, Durban on Sunday, December 26.
India will welcome the return of a fit Zaheer Khan. The bowling attack was toothless in the first game and allowed the entire South African top order to get runs. Sreedharan Sreesanth was wayward and lack of pace hurt Ishant Sharma and Jaidev Unadkat.
The left armer bowled with a lot of heart in his first Test but a barren debut means that he will make way for another left armer Zaheer Khan. Gary Kirsten has said that he has a lot of trust on his bowlers to deliver and pick up 20 wickets but it is hard to see where the wickets would come from. 
The Durban wicket is traditionally a fast bowlers’ paradise and a week full of rain will only help to confirm that fact. South Africa will once again be favorites on a green top. The Indian batsmen could not handle Dale Steyn’s pace and Morne Morkel’s bounce in the last game. Steyn’s spell in the last session of the fourth day showed the gulf of class between the two bowling attacks.
The Indian batsmen, like their bowlers, need to do a lot of hard work if they were to make South Africa bat twice. Inept batting in the first innings of the last game swung the match in South Africa’s favor right on the very first day. However, to their credit, the batsmen did apply themselves in the second innings, but a meager first innings total meant that their hard work was to be in vain.
South Africa are favorites and their batting line up too looks to be a potent threat. They showed that in the last game and if the Indian bowlers don’t get their act together, then they are in for another rough ride in Durban.