Grand Finale

The two best ranked teams in Test cricket are fighting it out,and what can you expect but the best?The Newlands,Cape Town can be in that sense said to be hosting the Grand Finale of the Test Championship.Last year when South Africa toured India for a two Test series,the scoreline was tied at 1-1.Two Tests in the return series and it's 1-1 again after Centurion and Durban,2-2 in aggregate.Though India have now been at the helm of the ranking for an unbroken period for almost a year now,critics have questioned their supremacy on grounds of absence of consistent and overwhelming successes overseas as you you would expect of a side tagged no. 1.Bitter truth,or maybe the Australian era holds the definition of dominance.And you know that the team who's close at heels have to be the chief challengers.

So,there isn't a better place to seal the issue than the den of the Proteas,if not a more suitable time.More so when South Africa has been dubbed as 'India's final frontier' - they have always had to bear the ignominy of defeat here.Hence when Ravi Shastri says that India would be happy with a no result in Cape Town,not many will contradict him.

But,even then,what about the pride?The tension and hype involved in this series reminds me of Tyler and McCarthy in 'Never Back Down'.The end has to be decisive,right?The question requires settlement at least for a while.Thus we can see there's a lot to play for at the lap of the Table Mountains.A result here grants recognition to the winner as the best Test team.A draw keeps the legitimacy in abeyance.

With such a backdrop,it would unfortunate if one doesn't witness a tooth and nail battle.And we ain't disappointed.Perfect conditions for a five day encounter at the Newlands.A green strip once again but neither lopsided in its nature as at the SuperSport Park nor like the almost unplayable batting conditions at the Kingsmead.To get value for work,the bowlers have had to manufacture wickets by able manipulation.That's why Sreesanth,with his persistent seam movement, and Dale Steyn,by his unrelenting questionnaire,have stood out.And Kallis and Tendulkar showed us that you can get runs here if you knew which balls to leave.It's the gutsy nature of their play that have left them tall among the peers.

Collectively too,the teams have so far matched each other inch for inch.Three days go by,and still none has an edge.India managed a first innings lead of a mere 2 runs,courtesy a late partnership between the Master and Harbhajan Singh,after South Africa scored what the visitors would think 50-60 runs too many after being 8 down for some 270-odd.And just when the Protean openers were looking to sign off the day on a high,the Turbanator pegged two back just before stumps last eve,leaving things pretty much even stevens all over again.

They say,the direction of a Test match is pretty much decided often by how it goes on the penultimate day.The intentions are as clear as the sky in Cape Town.The wicket is showing signs of wear and tear,puffs of dust emerging here and there.India will be conscious of the fact they will have to bat last;to contend Paul Harris,quite a bit of uneven bounce,and Dale Steyn's pace and skiddiness.They won't like the target to be steep.South Africa on the other hand would like to pile on runs quick.In short,another contest between the bat and ball awaits us.But,Virender Sehwag may well be the name of the ace up Dhoni's sleeve on Wednesday.