India's batsmen hit a mental reset

As India's practice sessions before a Test match go, the one on Sunday at the Wanderers was nothing remarkable. The team wound up at the Bull Ring like they've done so many times before and began with a ceremonial round of football. After Shankar Basu blew the final whistle, the squad ribbed each other about all the missed goal opportunities and headed their separate ways for practice. Statistically, however, it marked a new ground for Virat Kohli and Co. Never before has this batch gone into a Test match with a series already squandered.

Murali Vijay then stood pitch side in a semi-meditative state and began a focussed round of shadow practice. He pressed forward while doing so and let the imaginary ball go through. That evocative moment began an intense three-plus hours of practice session for the still No.1 side in Johannesburg.

When Vijay padded up alongside KL Rahul and Cheteshwar Pujara in the nets, it marked a fresh start for India and understandably, it started from the top. Unsurprisingly, when he faced his first delivery from Ishant Sharma, a length ball on the sixth stump, he took a small step and let it go.

That should be India's version of return to default settings. Vijay's measly returns from four innings - 69 at 17.25 - has been one of many pressing concerns for a side whose batting might finds a question mark stashed next to it. Four years ago, when Vijay played at the Wanderers, he had a match aggregate of 45 runs but in the 136 deliveries faced, he'd eschewed any need to force his runs through the off-side unless the drive and cut was absolutely devoid of the nick risk. It bore fruits in the following Test in Durban when he scored a 97 - an innings that headlined a series of classy innings from the top at Trent Bridge, Lord's, Adelaide and Brisbane in that overseas leg.

It has been strange, therefore, to see Vijay add a shuffle to his robust batting style. That has meant the Indian opener is getting into positions to play the balls on the fourth stump, which his 2013-14 version would have conveniently let go. Besides getting nicked off, the shuffle has also made Vijay a prime candidate for LBW against the incoming delivery, given he doesn't have the eye of Steve Smith who succeeds despite his own exaggerated forays outside off-stump.

If the shuffle is Vijay's way of showing intent - lest it be forgotten, he has not been immune to the drop himself - then India have already paid a big price. India's opening partnership, which averaged a scanty 34.20 at the start of the series (going back to mid-2015) has an average stand of 21.25 through four innings in this series. Though Vijay hasn't had his most productive series, the 33-year-old remains a quality asset that Kohli will want to have at his disposal for the challenges ahead. To that extent, the leave outside off-stump was a high-impact one. While Vijay didn't completely shun his shuffle, he kept many deliveries out and appeared to enjoy one of his better stints in the nets in this series.

More batting time for Rahane

Alongside Vijay, both Rahul and Pujara - also searching for runs - displayed a concerted effort to not be overly adventurous with their strokeplay. Both however had minor knee niggles that needed physio Patrick Farhart's attention. Pujara, who has a history of knee-related injuries, appeared to complaining of little discomfort in his left knee and was prescribed stretching and squats for relief. Rahul, on the other hand, was struck by an Ishant delivery right above the pad flap and needed an ice pack. The injuries are unlikely to rule either batsman out of the Wanderers Test just yet, as they took part in fielding drills later in the afternoon.

Given India's over reliance on Kohli for runs as per Faf du Plessis and Kagiso Rabada, it was no surprise to see the Indian captain play out a double session. However, in a departure from Cape Town and Centurion, Ajinkya Rahane joined his captain in a potential sign of a return to the usual. Rohit Sharma (, whose "current form" was preferred for Rahane's overseas record, was a belated presence in the batting nets. Rahane batted in the spinners' net before joining R Sridhar for a personal fielding session - where he specifically practised catching at gully (against the quicks) and at first slip (for the spinners). He returned to the batting nets for a second session, this time against the quicks.

If the batting order in the nets is an indication of India's possible combination for the third Test, then the management is likely to keep faith in Parthiv Patel over the incoming Dinesh Karthik despite the former's keeping faux pas in Centurion. Karthik played just one of Tamil Nadu's first class fixtures due to his involvement with the limited-overs national side and that could sway the vote in Parthiv's favour.

There'll be pace and bounce: Curator

Unlike Centurion, the wicket at Wanderers is expected to get Faf du Plessis's approval with a decent grass covering on the surface to go with the traditional pace and bounce of the surface. When South Africa played here in early 2017, they did so without a front-line spinner and skittled out Sri Lanka for 131 and 177 in a Test match ending in three days. However, it is to be noted that the hosts, who batted first, had centuries from Hashim Amla and JP Duminy. India, who won here famously in 2006 for the first of their two wins in South Africa, came close to another victory on their last visit here courtesy Kohli's first innings 119.

Head groundsman Bethuel Buthelezi believes he has prepared a result-oriented pitch. "Everything is going good with my preparation. I have the sunshine and no rain," he said. "Pace and bounce will be there. Everybody will be happy playing here at the Wanderers Stadium. I will be cutting some grass before the match starts. There will be more pace and bounce than lateral movement.

"The heat won't burn the grass. We have been putting water everyday. We have enough water. If we don't have water we use our own water, from borewell and municipal water."