Published: Sep 16, 2015, 11:54 AM (IST)
Edited: Sep 16, 2015, 11:54 AM (IST)
Former South African all-rounder Lance Klusener has said that India’s captain in the limited-overs format, MS Dhoni is the best all-rounder in international cricket at present, and the Test skipper Virat Kohli is ‘one of the best in the world’. Klusener, who made his Test debut in India in 1996 at the iconic Eden Gardens, says that the South African team, which will be taking on India in a marathon series, will have to stay focussed on their core strength of seam bowling, as it will help them win matches even though the pitches are expected to favour spin bowlers in the upcoming series. ALSO READ: India vs South Africa 2015: No real surprises in South African Test side
South Africa will be clashing with India in a three-match Twenty20 series, a five-match One-Day International (ODI) series and in a four-Test series starting October 2. Talking about the squad that South Africa have named for the India tour, Klusener told the Times of India, “It’s probably the best combination we could put together. This squad has quite a few players who have the experience of playing in India, be it on earlier tours or the IPL.” ALSO READ: South Africa’s tour match in Delhi in serious doubt; BCCI yet to announce opponent
He continued, “We have a solid seam-bowling attack with the likes of Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Vernon Philander, who have done well in all conditions in recent years. Steyn and Morkel have been to India many times before and know the conditions well. That for me is quite important. Wickets in India offer substantial assistance to spin, but I would like to believe that seam bowling is our strength and should win us games in India. The wickets in India offer some help upfront for the quicks and if our seam bowlers manage to create breakthroughs, then it could put us in a comfortable position.”
Talking about the Indian captain Kohli, who guided India to their first overseas series win in 4 years and first in Sri Lanka since 1993, Klusener said, “He was refreshing during the Sri Lanka series. He led from the front and that’s what you want your captain to do all the time. As a batsman, he is one of the best in the world.” ALSO READ: Shikhar Dhawan: Virat Kohli an aggressive captain but in good way
He added, “I am certain the South African team management is going to have him in mind when planning their attack. India are lucky to have someone like Kohli coming through the ranks and doing so well over the years.”
Klusener seemed impressed with Dhoni, who has retired from Test cricket to concentrate on limited-over formats, and said that the Indian captain has been the best all-rounder in the last few years. Klusener said, “They (all-rounders) are there but they haven’t quite proved themselves over the years. We have been lucky that we have had the likes of Jacques Kallis and Shaun Pollock. I also feel wicketkeeper-batsmen are genuine all-rounders in their own right. The likes of MS Dhoni, Adam Gilchrist are invaluable. The best all-rounder in world cricket in the last few years for me has to be MS Dhoni.”
The former cricketer said that Indian bowling attack is very impressive, but the tourists are better in that department. He concluded, “They are looking solid and have tasted success of late. Even though the Indian seam bowling attack has been successful in the recent past, I would still like to believe that the South African (seam bowling) attack does have a lot of experience and should hold the edge.”
