Centurion, Day 2, Tea
Saturday, November 24, 2001

India showed no apparent plans in plotting South Africa's downfall. But then it comes as no surprise, considering that this has become a well-established pattern.

Harbhajan Singh continues to baffle me. He just doesn't seem to know any other way of getting a batsman out than pitching the ball on a good line and length, and hoping that an error will be made in defence, maybe leading to a catch in the leg-trap. I cannot understand why he does not try to get batsmen to play attacking shots and thus induce mistakes in the process. I was hoping that in this match of no consequence he would try something other than his predictable method, but he disappointingly stuck to his routine.

Herschelle Gibbs has emerged as a major batting force for South Africa. And if the Australians are watching this game, they will have detected one weakness: a good bouncer pitched around middle and leg and aimed at his body. Because Gibbs prefers not to get too far on the back foot, a bouncer directed at the body is likely to trouble him as Javagal Srinath showed while getting his wicket today. That's a chink in his technique and India, for once, exploited it.

Gary Kirsten was his typically, defensive self, using his vast experience in trying to help himself to a hundred. And the bowling was just friendly enough to help his cause.

There is some help for the spinners, which was evident when Anil Kumble was bowling his legspin, and one hopes that Sachin Tendulkar will soon be introduced into the attack bowling his brand of spinners.

Kumble has bowled just seven overs in two sessions and it's just another confirmation of what he is thought of as a bowler outside India. This despite having a new captain.

Sanjay Manjrekar, mainstay of the Indian batting in the late '80s and early '90s, was talking to H Natarajan.

More Session by Session
Another hard grind for India
Kumble gets tough

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