Testing time for Team India .......

India have played nine Test matches in South Africa and have not won even a single Test.But their record at the Wanderers in Johannesburg, where the first Test of the current series starts form December 15, is a lot better,

The Indian cricket team have played two Tests at Johannesburg (1992 and 1996) and have managed to draw both the matches.Over the next 22 days, Rahul Dravid and his boys will play 15 days of the toughest Test cricket possible.

The three-match Test series against South Africa will be their chance to make history or become history.

Not too many experts are giving them a chance as so far on the tour, the batting has been spineless, bowlers have chocked at key moments and India have never looked like a unit keen to fight.

"I think it is nice to go to with not many people giving you any chance. I think we as a team believe that we have got a very good chance. We believe that if we play up to our potential and play a good cricket, which we know we can, we can win the series. We have got very good players in the team," Dravid said.

The team management will be burning the midnight oil to come up with the final XI.

India are likely to go in to the match with six batsmen, a keeper and four bowlers, which means that former skipper Sourav Ganguly is a certainty.In the bowling department Zaheer Khan, S Sreesanth and Anil Kumble have booked their places.VRV Singh's raw pace has meant that he will be the fourth bowler in the team.

But one thing is sure, whatever the playing XI, South Africa will come at Team India hard with a five-man pace attack."Hopefully we can put everything into play as we did in the One-Day series. All our channels, every game plan we had paid off so hopefully in the Test series we can do the same," South Africa skipper Graeme Smith said.

After the debacle in the ODI series, Team India is looking to start a fresh in the first Test in Johannesburg.

The return of Rahul Dravid has strengthened the Indian batting line up. But the likes of Makhaya Ntini and Dale Steyn will be looking forward to Test the Indian batsmen on the fast and bouncy pitch of the Wanderers.