1st Test - India/South Africa - Dec 2006 - Thoughts

Finally the first win in South Africa, and comes as a most unexpected result given the background of the ODI thrashing!! Were the personnel in the ODI squad all wrong? Many heads should nod in agreement.

Ironically, SA scored 278 in the second innnings which was the highest innings score in this test match!!!

Saw most of the first day’s play live on TV, the South African innings on Day Two and the Indian innings on Day Three.

Some thoughts that I wrote down at the end of each day.

Impressions of Day One:-

The management seemed to have taken the right decisions. Dropping Pathan given his poor bowling in recent times was a good decision, even made to look more better given his recent 100 with the bat not swaying the decision making in favor of including him. Five bowlers would have been a good choice, but under the current form and situation six batsmen was acceptable. Kumble being chosen and Bhajji being dropped was another good decision. The only questionable selection in this side was Sehwag, but given that Gambhir has not played here, and there were virtually no other options, one had to accept and hope Sehwag did well.

The other major positive decision was to bat first, on what was apparently a tricky wicket. Full marks to the management, and if anything the mindset of the team came to the fore when India opted to take first strike.

The batting and bowling. For starters, barring Pollock and later Kallis the other pacers failed to make the batsmen play the ball more. This made it relatively much easier for the batsman to be in there, but full marks to the Indians for not chasing or hanging their bats out to the deliveries that were directed away from the stumps.

Jaffer seemed assured and played two rocking shots before making a fatal error in judgment. Sehwag did not have much of the strike in the opening partnership, and somehow did not seem to look confident. Was not much of a surprise when he perished, for yet another failure.

Tendulkar looked his old self. Some sizzling boundaries and the most assured manner of his batting made one feel that he was back in the form we like him to be, and it was unfortunate that he got out just as one thought he was in groove for a big score. Given that he had battled and batted for so long admirably, it was a big disappointment when he edged, and the ball that got him was no great delivery as the Tendulkar-bandwagon- commentators wanted us to believe. It was a good delivery but one expected a well settled Tendulkar to have dealt with it.

Dravid was not quite his usual self but battled in his usual gritty fashion, taking one bad body blow and not flinching at all. He again perished when he was beginning to look well settled. Full credit to Tendulkar and Dravid for having made life easier for the later batsman.

With both departing, we had the situation of two players who have not quite been preferred choices in recent times in Laxman and Ganguly in the middle, dealing with a crisis. Two batsmen who were under pressure to perform to be in the playing eleven. Had a quick wicket gone, it well could have been disaster for India. But the partnership between VVS and Ganguly kept India in the game. It was as valuable as the partnership between Dravid and Tendulkar. Full marks to both for having not just steadying the innings but coming up with some brilliant stroke play.

Laxman looked assured, and had vintage boundaries. As Harsha Bhogle commented, if he were to not worry about his place in the side, he could be a different player. One wished play had been called off one over earlier, and India finished the day with both batsmen undefeated.

Ganguly was all composure and determination. Two exquisite boundaries were on display. The commentators seemed to go gaga over him and one would have excused anyone not glued in to the game to think Ganguly had got a 50 or 100.

In any event, Laxman and Ganguly in the line-up seemed a better choice compared to Kaif, Raina or even Yuvraj for that matter. They displayed good application, determination and at one point when the boundaries began to flow from VVS and Ganguly, it looked like India may even take a dominant upper hand. One wished that VVS and/or Ganguly had walked down and looked at the spots where Nel was running on after delivering the ball.

At 14 for two, there was a danger of being bowled out for a paltry score on a wicket not conducive for batting. But Indian batsmen showed character.All five batsmen who got out were dismissed defending. There weren’t many deliveries that beat the batsman. The first errors proved fatal for four of the five wickets to fall, and in that respect it was a luckless day. India showed character, determination on the first day, and the performance was gritty. It augurs well, and gives hope that things can get better.

And yes, why is this august commentary team commenting and harping on the scoring rate? This is test cricket, where even a maiden over can make engrossing watching.


Impressions of Day Two:-

The commentators were talking of 275 as a good score. Ganguly looked assured and someone had to stay with him. Dhoni was being tipped as the player who could dominate things for India, but he left to a most brilliant catch by Pollock. There are some situations where the ball catches the hand, and without taking anyway from Pollock’s brilliant effort these are catches that either stick or spill, and the luckless Indians lost another wicket.

During his heydays in the ODI format, Ganguly was clearly a selfless player who played for the team and never hesitated to risk his wicket in the team’s cause. Seeing him not shield VRV Singh and consistently taking singles of the first or second ball of new overs came as a surprise. Runs apart, time consumed can be vital in test cricket. In any case, the pyrotechnics of VRV Singh catapulted India close to the 250 mark.

Sreesanth certainly put India on the road to victory. No doubts. Zaheer kept the pressure on a well. No one expected to see India bat again the second time on Day Two.

Couldn’t get to see much of the Indian innings, since had to go for a friend’s play. Missed seeing VVS and Ganguly in action again. Though Tendulkar and Dravid held fort when the ball was new and guided us to some semblance of comfort in the first innings, the two partnerships that VVS and Ganguly put together in each innings was really the key to the decent scores we managed in either innings. Invaluable also were the batting contributions of VRV Singh and Zaheer Khan.


Impressions of Day Three:-

The commentators were again talking of Dhoni as the key factor for a good score. After Dhoni and Kumble perished quickly, it was Zaheer who showed heart, grit, application and common sense to help Laxman take us to safety.

One blunder from Smith was not opening with Pollock the previous day. Here today, he committed the second blunder by bowling! Was this a reflection of his lack of faith in his pace attack? Zaheer took full toll and ensured India were in a total safety zone.

VVS. One who is never given the respect or the credit he deserves, went on to play a sedate knock. It was indeed a surprise to see Allan Donald keep commenting that VVS had to take the attack to the bowling. Thankfully VVS played the waiting game, and put away the bad balls to eke out a fine innings that paved the way to safety as well as victory. The only disappointment was in him edging Ntini when again well set for a big score.

Missed the Sreesanth jig, unfortunately.

A target on 400 was never on really, inspite of all the glorious uncertainties of this game. The wicket, the batting line-up and the resurgent Indian attack backed by fabulous catching.

Impressions of Day Four:-

Never got to see the game on TV. Day of a historic win. It is not for nothing that cricket is said to be a great leveller. The overconfident Proteas will have a lot to think of. Was it a flash in the pan is the question we Indian fans will wonder as we now await the next test.

Change in personnel for the next test? Sehwag will not be dropped. Jaffer could come under fire, though one hopes he is given the kind of chances that the likes of Raina, Kaif and Sehwag have been given. Would VRV Singh make way for someone else? One hopes they stick to the same playing XI. Maybe one really final chance for Sehwag to peform. It is sad to see such a fine performer struggle the way he has been for months. Elsewhere in the countryside, Robin Uthappa has got another big hundred.

And yes. SA running away to 270 plus was disapppointing. When the opposition is down, it is best to nail and bury them.

And Greame Smith comments that India were served well with a lot of stability, experience and confidence at #5 and # 6 by VVS and Ganguly. He goes on to add that maybe India were soft there in the one-dayers. Time for the return of Ganguly and VVS as regular fixtures in the ODI scheme of things?