Zaheer Khan doubtful but India confident of success in South Africa

Forget the mid-table skirmish in Perth – world cricket's real heavyweight battle begins a few hours later in Pretoria, where India face South Africa in the first of a three-Test series. India are guaranteed to retain their No1 Test ranking whatever the outcome, but after drawing a two-match series 1-1 on the subcontinent at the start of this year, the second-ranked Proteas have the chance to make an emphatic point as well as closing the gap in the ICC's world championship – in which England and Australia are currently third and fourth. India have lost each of the previous four series they have played in South Africa since 1992, managing a single win from 12 Tests. This will be their first Test at Centurion, where locals are predicting a fast, bouncy pitch to suit the home pace attack led by Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel. But India's captain, MS Dhoni, is confident in his team's ability to handle whatever is thrown at them, after preparing for the series at the Cape Town academy, run by their coach Gary Kirsten, rather than with warm-up matches. "Gary Kirsten is the best thing that could have happened to Indian cricket," Dhoni said of the former South Africa opener. "He not only knows our players but also understands the mindset of the South Africans and that insight will be important. "I believe we will be better prepared than before, because the guys have played here in the IPL and in the Champions League and it is not that foreign to them." Sachin Tendulkar, the most experienced of all, will go into his 175th Test aiming for his 50th century. However the potency of India's own seam attack may be undermined, with the veteran left-armer Zaheer Khan described by Dhoni as "quite doubtful" after suffering a groin injury. Zaheer would be replaced by either Jaidev Unadkat or Umesh Yadav, a pair of young, uncapped seamers. Ryan McLaren, formerly of Warwickshire and Kent, is battling with the comparatively unknown Lonwabo Tsotsobe to be selected as South Africa's third specialist seamer. The series is completed with Tests in Durban, starting on Boxing Day, and in the new year in Cape Town. South Africa: Graeme Smith (capt), Alviro Petersen, Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers, Ashwell Prince, Mark Boucher, Ryan McLaren, Dale Steyn, Paul Harris, Morne Morkel, Lonwabo Tsotsobe. India: MS Dhoni (capt), Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, Sree Sreesanth, Murali Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara, Wriddhiman Saha, Umesh Yadav, Jaidev Unadkat, Pragyan Ojha.