The South Africans are attempting to achieve the rare feat of back-to-back Test series wins on Indian soil. In drawing the first Test in Kanpur they took more than two days to score their first innings tally of 510 for nine.
The approach prompted criticism from Indian opener Virender Sehwag and left-arm spinner Murali Kartik but captain Graeme Smith told reporters on Saturday that his team were simply eager to claw out a series victory.
"We're definitely not going into the match with a draw in mind," Smith said.
"There will be five days of tough Test cricket. It could be a draw, but there will be a fight. We're the underdogs here and, if we can win being the underdogs, it will be a huge achievement."
South Africa, who became the first team in 13 years to win a series in India on their last trip in 2000, have since lost some of their key players to retirement and poor form.
They came to India with a further depleted side after opener Herschelle Gibbs and spinner Nicky Boje pulled out of the tour citing personal reasons.
But all-rounder Andrew Hall rose to the challenge on a docile Kanpur wicket, scoring 163 to ensure the visitors got a first-innings lead in the Test and a psychological edge going into the Kolkata game.
"The surface looks drier than the one we had in Kanpur," Smith said of the wicket. "The curator said there will be some bounce and expects it to turn from the third or fourth day."
The skipper expected his pacemen to fire.
"Shaun Pollock and Makhaya Ntini are confident and hungry. They realise that playing here is much tougher than playing at home. They'll have to perform."
BELOW PAR
Indian captain Sourav Ganguly, cleared to play the match on Friday after his appeal against a two-match ban was upheld by the International Cricket Council (ICC), is hoping his middle-order to return to form after a series of recent disappointments.
Vangipurappu Laxman, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and Ganguly have all been below par over the last five Tests, although opener Virender Sehwag is in top form.
"The Eden Gardens is Laxman's lucky venue and he should get his act together. Rahul got some runs under his belt with a 50 in the last match. We know we'll all have to bat well," said Ganguly.
Laxman and Dravid scored 281 and 180 respectively, sharing in a record 376-run stand, against Australia in Kolkata in 2001, leading India to a shock victory after they had been asked to follow-on.
The hosts, who went with three spinners and Zaheer Khan as the only paceman in Kanpur, have decided to leave out Kartik for left-arm seamer Irfan Pathan.
But their bowling attack will be led by leg-spinner Anil Kumble, who is just four shy of Kapil Dev's Indian record of 434 Test wickets.
Teams:
India - Sourav Ganguly (captain), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Vangipurappu Laxman, Dinesh Karthik (wicketkeeper), Irfan Pathan, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan.
South Africa (from) - Graeme Smith (captain), Andrew Hall, Jacques Rudolph, Martin van Jaarsfeld, Boeta Dippenaar, Jacques Kallis, Zander de Bruyn, Thami Tsolekile (wicketkeeper), Shaun Pollock, Makhaya Ntini, Andrew Hall, Robin Peterson, Hashim Amla.
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