'The South Africans have lots of demons in their heads'

IMAGE: Ravichandran Ashwin celebrates taking Faf du Plessis' wicket. Photograph: BCCI

Another baptism by fire may be in store for South Africa, as a turning track is expected for the third Test, starting in Nagpur on Wednesday, November 25.
Hashim Amla's side scored 184 and 109 runs in the first Test in Mohali, which they lost by 108 runs. In the rain-hit second Test in Bangalore they were bundled out for 214 on a good wicket on Day 1.
Former India spinner Murali Kartik believes South Africa's batsmen are struggling to cope mentally in the Test series. Some of their batsmen, Kartik feels, have "lots of demons in their heads" when facing the Indian spin trio of Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Amit Mishra.
Kartik, who played eight Tests and 39 One-Day Internationals, wasn't given enough chances to fulfill his potential in the international arena. Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh were the two preferred spinners in his playing days.
In first class cricket, Kartik has claimed 644 wickets in 203 games. Besides a long career for the Railways in domestic cricket, he has also represented Lancashire, Middlesex, Somerset and Surrey in English county cricket.
The left-arm spinner explains to Harish Kotian/Rediff.com why the South Africans are all at sea against Ashwin and Jadeja.
What is going wrong for South Africa?
For one, they have got lots of demons in their heads. If you look at the wickets, they haven't done that much, whether it was Mohali or Bangalore. The wickets had nothing at all.
Expect for A B de Villiers, nobody else has any idea what their game plan is.
The South African openers could not provide the team with a good start. Has that been a factor?
It is not about starts. You can say that they did not have any clue against the spinners in Mohali, but you had three seamers bowling to them in Bangalore. I don't think that is the case, it is about the skill-set.

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