South Africa were better prepared for the battle
EAS Prasanna - 6 October 2001
There was brilliant sunshine when India took on South Africa at the
New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg on an October Friday afternoon.
South Africa is a tough side to beat and to topple them at home is
never an easy task. The last time these two teams met in an ODI was in
the semi final of the ICC KnockOut Tournament at Nairobi; A masterly
141 by Sourav Ganguly ensuring that the South Africans were thrashed
by 95 runs.
South Africans must have been smarting from the loss in Nairobi and
India had a problem to deal with, finding a fit eleven. The Indian
skipper is a key player and he made the right decision to play
himself, despite having injured himself in a warm up game. Shaun
Pollock's decision to put Indians to bat first was a surprising
decision. This was the first match of the tri-series and the South
African skipper must have decided to give his fast bowlers a chance to
have a go at the Indian batsmen first up.
Unfortunately, the Indian team has a habit of losing their way after
an excellent start. It was an appalling sight to see the Indians
unable to cash in on the good work done by the openers. I am surprised
by the so-called experienced Indian batting, which looks very brittle
in the middle.
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The first over was a pertinent indicator that Ganguly and Sachin
Tendulkar meant business. The very first ball of the match was
dispatched for a four through cover point by Ganguly, the sheer timing
and the lightning fast outfield suggesting that there were a lot of
runs to be scored by the end of the match. Ganguly's all-round stroke
play and Tendulkar's mastery must have put the doubts back in to the
mind of Pollock about his decision to bowl first on a wicket, which
was a beauty made for batting. The two master batsmen dominated with
their aggressive strokeplay and went on to show that the highly rated
South African fielding can also wilt under pressure.
Tendulkar and Ganguly made most of the dropped catches and went on to
reach their well deserved hundreds. Even though he has been out of
international cricket for the last three months due to an injured toe,
Tendulkar once again proved that he is a genius and in a class of his
own.
Ganguly's aggressive batting and the supreme form he displayed should
silence his critics. I only hope that Ganguly continues in this rich
vein, as it will do a great deal of good for Indian cricket. In my
opinion he is the best man to partner Tendulkar at the top of the
Indian innings.
Unfortunately, the Indian team has a habit of losing their way after
an excellent start. It was an appalling sight to see the Indians
unable to cash in on the good work done by the openers. I am surprised
by the so-called experienced Indian batting, which looks very brittle
in the middle. The cricket lovers in India must be wondering whether
we are only tigers against lesser opponents who turn tail when up
against better teams.
South Africans, for their part, played like thoroughbred professionals
with a clear game plan. They showed a lot of character and
determination in chasing a big total. The remarkable thing is that
there was only one player who got a hundred, Gary Kirsten. The South
Africans though were never in trouble and they exposed the limitations
of the Indian attack.
Having said that, I have to comment on Anil Kumble who was making a
comeback after a long lay off. Kumble was not in his elements, failing
to find the right line and length. He must get his act together to be
a strike bowler. After seeing him bowl at the Wanderers, I wonder
whether his long absence from the game has taken a toll on him. Only
good performances in the following matches will set things right for
Kumble.
The first ODI should be a good lesson for the Indian management, to
review their game plan and even deliberate on the team composition, if
they have to give the South Africans a good fight during the rest of
the tour.
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