Bob Woolmer fills you in on Bloemfontein, where South Africa play India in the first Test, which starts on Saturday Thursday, November 1, 2001

Bloemfontein. Scene of the first Test between South Africa and India. And home to two big-name South African cricketers, both of them famous, one of them infamous. Allan Donald is the first, and there are no prizes for guessing the second. Ironically, perhaps, Bloemfontein is the home of justice in South Africa.

It is a city surrounded by farmland, most of it occupied by cattle. The restaurants are famous for their great steaks, although there are many other excellent dishes. Some of the more vibrant watering holes have seen impromptu, bare-fist fights – the local inhabitants are just that bit bigger than average. They would argue that Bloemfontein is the home of South African rugby, as many of their players are chosen play for the national side.

Cricket is a growing sport here, although the five-day game is still struggling to attract spectators. Saturday and Sunday will be the most popular days but the ground won't be full at any stage, despite the fact that the city is miles from the coast and there is not much else to do.

Without wishing to be rude, those spectators that do turn up are likely to give the players as much stick as possible and it doesn't matter which side you happen to be on. Most of it is in Afrikaans, but you can get the gist. And most of it occurs well into the afternoon, when amber nectar combines with hot sunshine to produce the usual chemical reaction. The result? Raw abuse.

The ground is tailor-made and has only recently been given Test status. It lies on the same road as the rugby, athletics and hockey stadiums. Parking is a pleasure and there are plenty of grass banks to accommodate the spectator who wants to plant an umbrella and portable braai (the South Africa version of the barbecue), and settle in for the day with an esky – a cooler-box that is usually overflowing with cans of beer. There are two areas that offer shade and seats, otherwise it is bring your own chairs.

An electric scoreboard and a brand-new site for the players' dressing-rooms have allowed the cramped press area to grow in readiness for the World Cup. There is parking for the players right outside and the nets are very close too – unlike many grounds. The practice facilities are some of the best in the world: the surfaces are excellent for batting and there is plenty of pace and bounce for the bowlers too. In 1998 we practised playing the short ball here before taking on Curtly Ambrose, Courtney Walsh and the other West Indians.

The square contains eight pitches and the Test strip is a good one. But it does start damp and there has been plenty of rain around this year. On the first day it is usually a slowish seamer with tennis-ball bounce. Then as the sun does its work, the pitch gets flatter and flatter. This can make it a bit uneven, but is more likely to result in a good batting wicket, although the shorter ball will skid more.

The trick is to know just how damp the pitch is on the first day. Last year I thought South Africa should have bowled first against New Zealand. But they chose to bat instead, and went on to win despite a great fightback in the second innings by New Zealand. My thinking was that if South Africa had bowled first, they would have dismissed New Zealand cheaply because there was plenty of sideways movement. In the only other Test there, South Africa beat Zimbabwe after bowling them out for 192 on the first day.

The curator is Nico Pretorius, who was a fast bowler for Free State, and he likes to see some bounce and carry. If South Africa are to beat India, that is what they will be hoping for. It has turned here before, but that would play into the hands of Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble. India would probably like to bat first so their spinners can bowl last. The fourth innings is when the only significant turn will come – out of the bowlers' footmarks.

The weather should remain fine over the five days, although Bloemfontein is subject to dust storms followed by thunderstorms at around 4pm. The usual pattern is great mornings, with cloud build-up during the day. It can also be very hot: the natural humidity that builds up during the day can lead to periods when the ball does more. The heat won't bother the Indians, but the movement will.

So who's going to win? South Africa at home must be favourites. If India bat first they will need to score more than 400 to ensure against defeat. If either side slip up in the first innings then the game will slip away from them. If I had to put my neck on the line, I'd say that the team batting last will win.

Bob Woolmer is director of coaching for Warwickshire CCC and the former coach of South Africa. He is a member of the editorial board of Wisden Cricket Monthly, and has just been appointed ICC's first high performance manager.

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