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Not a happy departure for Tendulkar the captain
Partab Ramchand - 3 October 2001
The most eventful happening of the short South African tour of India in
early 2000 was something that took place off the field and before the
Test series started. During the match between the tourists and the Board
President's XI at the Cricket Club of India the only first class game
of the tour besides the two Tests the chairman of the national
selection committee Chandu Borde, accompanied by Sachin Tendulkar, came
to the press box. The assembled reporters were keenly waiting for Borde
to read out the names of the players selected for the first Test. They
got that, but not before Tendulkar dropped an unexpected bombshell. The
little master announced that he would be stepping down as captain after
the two Tests. He was never really comfortable in both his tenures as
the man at the helm and, unable to combat the pulls and pressures and
the political machinations that are almost mandatory with the post, he
decided to step down. This meant that the selectors would have to come
up with a new captain for the five match one day series that was to
follow the Test matches.
In the one day series, South Africa were the favourites but India pulled off a surprise. Wrapping up the contest by the fourth game after galloping to a 2-0 start, the Indians finally won the series 3-2. Of course, the match fixing allegations, which surfaced dramatically after the tour ended, took some of the gloss associated with the triumph.
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The South Africans, who landed in February, were strongly challenging
Australia for the top team in the world. Among their recent
accomplishments was a 5-0 whitewash of the West Indies, besides series
victories over England, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. They were a well
balanced side, possessing stroke playing batsmen in Gary Kirsten,
Herschelle Gibbs, Daryl Cullinan and skipper Hansie Cronje, world-class
all rounders in Jacques Kallis, Lance Klusener and Shuan Pollock, an
excellent wicketkeeper in Mark Boucher and their experienced and fiery
pace spearhead Allan Donald. India would be surely up against it,
especially after their dismal performance on the Australian tour, which
just preceded the South African series. But given their formidable
record at home, India were thought to have some chance in the two match
contest.
With the youngsters faring particularly badly on the tour `Down Under'
the selectors threw the net far and wide and gave Test caps to four
players Md Kaif, Murali Kartik, Wasim Jaffer and Nikhil Chopra. To add
a sense of balance, they also recalled Md Azharuddin and Nayan Mongia.
But all this came to nought before the all round superiority of the
visitors, who won both the Tests, the first at Mumbai by four wickets in
three days and the second at Bangalore by an innings and 71 runs early
on the fifth morning. This marked India's first home series loss in 13
years; they had previously lost to Imran Khan led Pakistan in 1987.
It was basically the batting that let India down. In the first Test they
were dismissed for scores of 225 and 113. Tendulkar's 97 in the first
innings was the saving grace. In the second innings only Rahul Dravid
and Sourav Ganguly got into the 30s. The Indian bowlers put up a
tremendous performance in restricting the South African first innings
total to 176. This after openers Kirsten (50) and Gibbs (47) had put on
90 runs. Tendulkar himself made the breakthrough dismissing both
batsmen and then Kartik and Kumble scythed through the middle order
while Javagal Srinath made short work of the tail. A target of 163 on a
wearing wicket was not going to be easy but again Kirsten (20) and Gibbs
(46) gave them a good start, putting on 51 runs. Kumble then got among
the wickets and with South Africa 128 for six, it did seem anybody's
match. Kumble however had little support and Kallis' steadfastness and
Boucher's strong arm tactics saw the visitors home.
Azharuddin was to have made his comeback in the Mumbai Test but he hurt
his finger while playing for the Board President's XI in the tour
opener. He then played his 99th and probably his last - Test at
Bangalore. It was a memorable match for him for he scored a fighting 102
in the Indian second innings but it was a less memorable encounter for
his country which crashed to a comprehensive defeat. Again the batting
was chiefly to blame, as totals of 158 and 250 on a good wicket clearly
illustrate. That Kumble at No 8 was the top scorer with 36 not out in
the first innings tells the sorry tale of the batting.
The Indians opted for the unconventional and as it proved unwise
approach of not giving Srinath the support of a new ball partner.
Instead, they played three spinners in Kumble, Chopra and Kartik,
besides Tendulkar. The strategy backfired as the South Africans amassed
479. The consistent Kirsten got 79 and nightwatchman Nicky Boje, coming
in at No 3, proved to be the veritable thorn in the flesh batting in
obdurate fashion for 85. The middle-order piled on the agony with Kallis
getting 95, Cullinan 53 and Klusener 97. Kumble's six for 143 off 68.4
overs was the one saving grace for the Indians.
In the second innings, only Azharuddin showed some defiance with no
other player getting into the 30s. Another desperate tactic that
misfired was asking Dravid to open the innings. The experienced right
hander was out for 17 and 18. Boje capped a fine match with a seven
wicket haul in the match, including five in the second innings.
In the one day series, South Africa were the favourites but India pulled
off a surprise. Wrapping up the contest by the fourth game after
galloping to a 2-0 start, the Indians finally won the series 3-2. Of
course, the match fixing allegations, which surfaced dramatically after
the tour ended, took some of the gloss associated with the triumph. But
it was an achievement of sorts for the new captain Ganguly.
© CricInfo
Teams
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India,
South Africa.
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Players/Umpires
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Mohammad Azharuddin,
Sachin Tendulkar,
Sourav Ganguly,
Gary Kirsten,
Herschelle Gibbs,
Jacques Kallis,
Lance Klusener,
Hansie Cronje,
Shaun Pollock,
Nicky Boje,
Allan Donald,
Anil Kumble.
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Tours
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India in South Africa
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