Careers will be on the line when South Africa take on India in the second Test in Durban, beginning on Tuesday. | South Africa won toss and elected to bat first against India in the second Test but were without the injured Jacques Kallis and Dale Steyn. |
South Africa coach Mickey Arthur has had to endure a newspaper campaign for him to be sacked after India's upset victory in the opening Test. | Steyn failed a fitness test on his thigh but Kallis was a surprise omission after feeling shooting pain in his spine in the morning. |
Home captain Graeme Smith has made only 453 runs in nine Tests and will be under pressure for his place. | Andrew Hall and debutant Morne Morkel replaced them in the line-up for the hosts, who are 1-0 down in the series. |
And India openers Virender Sehwag and Wasim Jaffer failed in the opening match, with selectors mulling a change. | India are unchanged from the side that won the opening Test in Johannesburg. |
India were underdogs coming into the series, with a perceived weakness against pace bowling, but secured a 123-run win in Johannesburg - their first ever in South Africa. | |
Shanthakumaran Sreesanth and Zaheer Khan made better use of the conditions and dismissed the hosts for 84 in their first innings. | |
While India celebrated, Arthur was put in the spotlight as South Africa have now won seven and lost 11 Tests since his appointment in May 2005. | |
Their three series wins have come against lowly Zimbabwe, West Indies and New Zealand. | |
Smith's form has dipped since the heights of 2003 when he hit two double centuries against England and 1,198 runs in the calendar year at an average of 63.05. | |
We know we played badly and we know we have the ability to turn it around Graeme Smith | |
In the last 12 months, Smith has passed 50 just twice, in the same match against New Zealand at the end of last season. | |
However, it was fellow opener Herschelle Gibbs who took the most blame for the Johannesburg debacle as he registered a pair. | |
Gibbs will be moved to bat at six in Durban, with AB de Villiers moved up to open with Smith. | |
"There's no doubt that we can turn it around," said Smith. | |
"We know we played badly and we know we have the ability to turn it around." | |
The home side will make a late decision over the fitness of fast bowler Dale Steyn, who suffered a thigh injury during the first Test. | |
Morne Morkel is on standby to make his debut, while left-arm spin bowler Paul Harris could take a Test bow if the pitch looks suitable. | |
Kingsmead is usually a seam-friendly ground, though. In 1996/97 India were blown away for 100 and 66, with Allan Donald claiming match figures of 9-54. | |
India's opening win came despite opening stands of just 14 and 20, and Jaffer's place came under more pressure when Gautan Gambhir scored 79 in a two-day practice match this week. | |
The tourists seem likely to strengthen their pace attack, with Munaf Patel, recovered from injury, set to replace VRV Singh, who was not impressive in Johannesburg. | |
India fast bowler Irfan Pathan will leave South Africa early to ensure he rediscovers his form in time for next year's World Cup, captain Rahul Dravid said on Monday. | |
Pathan performed indifferently in the three one-day internationals he played against South Africa, and he was not selected for the first test in Johannesburg. | |
| |
South Africa (from): G Smith (capt), AB de Villiers, H Amla, J Kallis, A Prince, H Gibbs, M Boucher, S Pollock, A Nel, M Ntini, D Steyn, A Hall, J Rudolph, P Harris, M Morkel. | |
India (from): R Dravid (capt), V Sehwag, W Jaffer, G Gambhir, S Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, S Ganguly, M Dhoni, A Kumble, Z Khan, S Sreesanth, M Patel, VRV Singh, D Karthik, Harbhajan Singh. | |