India skipper Anil Kumble and fast bowler Ishant Sharma face late fitness test ahead of the second Test against South Africa which starts in Ahmedabad on Thursday.

Kumble suffered a groin strain during the first Test, while Sharma is still recovering from injuries picked up on the recent tour to Australia.

"We will wait until Thursday morning to take a final call on who all are fit for the Test match," said Kumble.

India will definitely be without Sachin Tendulkar who is ruled out through injury.

Tendulkar only needs another 172 runs to become the highest scorer in Test history and South Africa coach Mickey Arthur said: "You lose a guy like that, it takes a huge chunk out of the team.

"It will be interesting to see what India will come up with; whether they stick to the plan of playing six batsmen or whether they decide to play five batsmen, [wicket-keeper] Mahendra Dhoni at six and five bowlers."

Mohammed Kaif, who played the last of his 13 Tests almost two years ago, has been called into the India squad to replace Tendulkar, but he may be pipped by Yuvraj Singh for a place in the final XI.

The teams have been promised a more "sporting" pitch than the one used for the opening game, which saw 1,498 runs scored over five days, including the fastest triple century in Test history by India opener Virender Sehwag.

South Africa have been studying his innings on video and believe they may have found a way to curb his free-scoring approach.

"When we had a look at it, the first pull shot Viru played was on 312," said Arthur.

"We think we can target him with short balls into the body. We have the quicks who can get it up to 140 kph, so [we can try to] cramp him up and get him playing the pull."

The tourists expect a name a team "pretty much the same" as in Chennai, according to skipper Graeme Smith, and he is confident the batting line-up will prosper again, irrespective of which bowling combination is used by India.

Kumble and fellow spinner Harbhajan Singh shared 11 wickets in the first Test, but Smith said: "I think we have played spin well this season in Pakistan, Bangladesh and here.

"We have generally proved we can play it well. I am very happy with the way the top six have performed."

India can, however, point to a good record in Ahmedabad, where they have not lost a Test since West Indies won by 138 runs in November 1983.

And the home side came out on top in the only previous Test meeting with South Africa at the Gujarat Stadium in 1996, bowling them out for just 105 in the fourth innings to win by 64 runs.

India (from): Anil Kumble (capt), Wasim Jaffer, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, Mohammad Kaif, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman, Mahendra Dhoni (wk), Harbhajan Singh, Sree Santh, RP Singh, Yuvraj Singh, Piyush Chawla, Irfan Pathan, Ishant Sharma.

South Africa (from): Graeme Smith (capt), Neil McKenzie, Jacques Kallis, Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, Ashwell Prince, Mark Boucher (wk), Paul Harris, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Makhaya Ntini, Jean-Paul Duminy, Monde Zondeki, Robin Peterson. 

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