Mum's the word about India's combination

There was something similar and something very different from the two press conferences on the eve of the Newlands Test in Cape Town. Deviating slightly from convention, Virat Kohli didn't turn up for the pre-match addressal having committed to his media responsibilites upon arrival in South Africa. Sanjay Bangar did. South Africa had their skipper Faf du Plessis candidly expressing satisfaction over pitch preparation. Yet, like Bangar after him, he too couldn't categorically confirm his team's combinations.

If India believe the popular perception, that it is green and will do a bit, they will believe they are better off stockpiling an extra batsman - Rohit Sharma - in their lineup and playing just the four frontline bowlers. As Bangar pointed out, it's not a mix that they haven't used earlier even if the five-bowler narrative has been synonymously used with attacking mindsets.

Against New Zealand last in 2016 and recently against Sri Lanka recently, India have found pitches conducive enough to let four bowlers share the 20-wicket responsibility. Although, it must be pointed out that on a flattened out Wanderers surface in 2013-14, a similar strategy cost them a Test win on the final day.

"Well more or less that has been the pattern over the last 24 months or so wherein the team management has made the choices about the team composition," Bangar said on Thursday (January 4). "And whenever the wicket suits, if it's a bowling friendly track then obviously we might go with four bowlers. If the conditions are perceived to be slightly batting friendly, we might opt for five bowlers. So that has been the case right through the last 24 months. And I don't think it'll be any different here."

India, though, are wary of buying too much into the pitch hype just yet. It could still be a double bluff from South Africa to trigger the demons in their heads. By their assessment, the Cape Town wicket will assist seamers on Day 1 before flattening out on days two and three. It's an estimation in line with recent statistics at the ground that has witnessed several high scores, including Ben Stokes's blistering double century in the 2015-16 season.

However, even a bowler short - with Umesh Yadav the likeliest to sit out - India are confident in the form and fitness of those picked to retain their efficacy over five days. Zaheer Khan, in 2013-14, for example conceded at nearly four runs an over on the final day at Wanderers. "All of them have enough experience under their belt. We've got Ishant Sharma who is having his third tour of South Africa," Bangar said.

"And all the bowlers have been rotated really well keeping into account the workload they are going to encounter here. So if you see the consistency they have displayed in the home season, where they have bowled on pretty flat conditions and made sure they gave the support to the spinners on the home soil, they've built a great sense of discipline in their bowling and I'm pretty sure that discipline will help us in maintaining the pressure on the opposition batsmen."

Meanwhile, Bangar revealed that Ravindra Jadeja, who picked up an illness, was still under observation - all but ruling out the left-arm spinner's participation. Ideally, that would be a clear mandate for R Ashwin's selection as the only spinner in the side. However, given the conditions, India aren't completely ruling out the possibility of playing Hardik Pandya as a seam-bowling all-rounder.

"It all depends on the team combination. All of them (Hardik, Rohit, Ashwin) are batting really well. Rohit on the back of performances that he's had in the limited-overs format and the Tests he has played. All of them are in with a chance to play. It all boils down to the team combination, which eventually we'll take a call on, on the morning of the match who will get a nod ahead of somebody else."