India's build-up sinking without trace

India are in danger of going into the Test series against South Africa in Bloemfontein on Saturday without having played any first-class cricket on tour.

The visitors' preparation for the three-Test series has been hampered by heavy rain and thunderstorms in Durban which have washed out the first two days of their match against a President's XI at Chatsworth.

India last played first-class cricket in the third Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo in September.

Several key players, notably batsman Vangipurappu Laxman, left-arm fast bowler Zaheer Khan and wicketkeeper Sameer Dighe, who all joined the tour towards the end of a one-day triangular series also involving Kenya, need time to adjust to South African conditions.

"Our preparation has been peculiar, to say the least," India coach John Wright said. "It's not good, but there's not a lot we can do about it and we're just going to have to make the most of the time we have left."

Wright said the Indians had considered having the last day of the Durban match on Wednesday call off early in order to leave for Bloemfontein and continue their preparations there.

But "the situation in Bloemfontein is very similar" following rain for the past seven days, Wright said.

Instead, the visitors have been confined to the indoor nets at Kingsmead.

Chief executive of the KwaZulu-Natal Cricket Union Cassim Docrat said it was impossible to move the match from Chatsworth, little more than a club ground, to a venue better equipped to deal with inclement weather.

"We looked at various options, but with last (Monday) night's rain that was out of the question," said Docrat. "We can't move it to (Test ground) Kingsmead, because we are preparing for a (domestic first-class) Supersport Series game there this weekend."

Meanwhile batsman Rahul Dravid has returned from his visit to an orthopaedic surgeon in Cape Town to investigate pain in his right shoulder.

"He's fine," Wright said. "The doctor's report is due tomorrow (Wednesday), but he'll play in the test series."

Mail Cricket Editor