PTI
 
Benoni, Nov 15: Anil Kumble's return to one-day cricket and the pressure it brings on his bowling colleagues will be the focal point of India's day-night tour opener against a South African 'A' team at Willowmoore Park in Benoni on Thursday.

Kumble has been dusted off the shelf and put in the one-day mix after India's recent horrendous run in the limited overs format. His experience and nagging accuracy have made his fielding travails a minor issue. Suddenly, his World Cup hopes no longer appear just a dream.

Kumble's presence though will not make life any easy for India's other World Cup aspirants. Harbhajan Singh's inevitable presence would further turn the screws on the medium-pacers.

Zaheer Khan's return would stir up the pot for the likes of S Sreesanth and Munaf Patel, and not to forget Irfan Pathan.

Thursday’s game thus could be instructive in gauging the team's plans ahead of the World Cup. The competition between the medium-pacers would only intensify and only at the end of it would one know who has been left standing.

India would take no chances with its batsmen and all the top ones are most likely to be paraded in the middle.

Everyone, from Sachin Tendulkar to Virender Sehwag to Rahul Dravid, would be keen to hit the ground. A certain Mahendra Singh Dhoni's elevation in the batting order would also be watched with interest.