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PORT ELIZABETH, South Africa, Nov 14 (AFP) - India captain Sourav Ganguly may take on the problematic opening batsman role for his team when they try to square the three-match series against South Africa in the second Test starting at St George's Park Friday.

South Africa's pace bowlers, headed by captain Shaun Pollock, took the hosts to a nine-wicket win in the first Test in Bloemfontein and India need to find a way of stopping the South Africans from making an early breakthrough.

Rahul Dravid volunteered to open in Bloemfontein but made only two and 11. He is expected to drop back into the middle order in Port Elizabeth.

Uncapped left-hander Connor Williams joined the tour as a specialist opening batsman and it was expected he would partner Shiv Sunder Das in the Tests.

But because both India's first-class matches outside the Tests were abandoned because of wet outfields without a ball bowled, Williams has not had a chance to play.

Williams is not expected to be thrown in without having had a chance to get used to South African conditions. In any event, India would have a problem omitting one of their middle order players.

Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar, Dravid and Venkatsai Laxman are all automatic choices, while Virender Sehwag took full advantage of his selection in Bloemfontein by making a century on his Test debut.

With none of the other batsmen believed to be keen to tackle the new ball, Ganguly seemed the most likely solution. The left-handed skipper has enjoyed success as an opener in one-day internationals but has not looked comfortable against the rising ball on lively pitches at Test level.

Star off-spinner Harbhajan Singh seems sure to come back into the Indian team after recovering from a groin infection and his slow bowling partnership with leg-spinner Anil Kumble will be a key factor if India are to get back into the series.

After India suffered the frustration of not being able to play a four-day match against South Africa A in East London, it was the turn of the South Africans to be hit by bad weather Wednesday.

After the Indians completed a net practice at St George's Park, rain started to fall and the South Africans had to settle for a lower intensity work-out in an indoor net.

South Africa added uncapped left-hander Jacques Rudolph, 20, to the team that won the first Test. Rudolph has been the star of South Africa's domestic four-day competition, scoring 501 runs at an average of 83.50 with three centuries. He has hit three further centuries in non first-class matches, including one for the Nicky Oppenheimer XI against the Indians in the first match of the tour.

Although Rudolph has made his runs as an opening batsman, it is unlikely that the successful pairing of Herschelle Gibbs and Gary Kirsten will be split up. If Rudolph does play, it will most likely be at number five in place of Boeta Dippenaar. 

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