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I have donned the selector's hat... and here's my pick for the Test Team of the Year 2010:
OPENERS:
Alastair Cook (1287 runs in 14 matches @ Avg 58.50 and SR 54.76, 100s-5, 50s-4)
Virendra Sehwag (1422 runs in 14 matches @ Avg 61.82 and SR 90.80, 100s-5, 50s-8)
The young and promising Alastair Cook and the belligerent Virendra Sehwag should make a great opening pair for the Test Team of the year. Tamim Iqbal and Graeme Smith did make their cases strong, but they couldn't beat the sheer consistency of this pair.
MIDDLE ORDER:
Hashim Amla (1249 runs in 11 matches @ Avg 78.06 and SR 53.05, 100s-5, 50s-4)
Sachin Tendulkar (1562 runs in 14 matches @ Avg 78.10 and SR 55.90, 100s-7, 50s-5)
Johnathan Trott (1325 runs in 14 matches @ Avg 66.25 and SR 49.44, 100s-4, 50s-4)
Jacques Kallis (1198 runs in 11 matches @ Avg 79.86 and SR 54.01, 100s-6, 50s-2)
These four members picked themselves... but the difficult question was whom to accommodate at their usual No. 3 and No. 4 positions, and whom to push down to No. 5 and No. 6.
Eventually, Amla beat Trott to No. 3 because Amla's runs have come against more difficult oppositions. Trott scored 805 runs against Bangladesh and Pakistan whereas Amla scored 386 runs against West Indies and Pakistan. This, and slightly superior strike rate, sealed the No. 3 spot for Amla.
For the No. 4 spot, Tendulkar scored 390 runs against Bangladesh and New Zealand whereas Kallis scored 606 runs against West Indies and Pakistan. So the No. 4 spot went to Tendulkar.
It is sad that AB De Villiers, Kumar Sangakkara and VVS Laxman had to miss out... but there just isn't any more space left in the team.
WICKETKEEPER:
MS Dhoni (749 runs in 13 Tests @ Avg 41.61 and SR 55.48, 100s-1, 50s-4, Cat-41, St-7)
Sangakkara averaged 99.28 for the year but did not keep wickets even once through the year. AB De Villiers scored 996 runs but kept wickets only once. Matthew Prior had 8 more dismissals than Dhoni, but scored 640 runs at an average of 40.00. Brendon McCullum was also considered, but was not the ideal choice. So despite having not-too-impressive batting figures, Dhoni forms a part of the Test Team for the Year 2010 and in an obvious choice, takes the captaincy of the team.
BOWLERS:
Graeme Swann (64 wkts in 14 matches @ Avg 25.96, ER 2.88 and SR 54.0)
Dale Steyn (60 wkts in 11 matches @ Avg 21.41, ER 3.29 and SR 39.0)
Zaheer Khan (47 wkts in 9 matches @ Avg 21.97, ER 3.31 and SR 39.8)
James Anderson (57 wkts in 12 matches @ Avg 22.96, ER 2.82 and SR 48.7)
The three pacers in prime form, with the best spinner in the world to accompany them, forms a potent bowling unit. The irrepressible Jacques Kallis can lend good support and Virendra Sehwag's off spin can be called for when the chips are down.
Morne Morkel performed brilliantly through the year, but despite his 49 wickets, there is no one amongst the 4 listed above whom one would want to see out to accommodate Morkel. Steven Finn was also good through the year, but not enough to make the team.
FINAL TEAM:
A Cook (Eng), V Sehwag (Ind), H Amla (SA), S Tendulkar (Ind), J Trott (Eng), J Kallis (SA), MS Dhoni (Ind) (c)(wk), G Swann (Eng), D Steyn (SA), Z Khan (Ind), J Anderson (Eng).
The Durban Test is all set for a thrilling finish... South Africa can win the series with 192 more runs... India can level it with 7 more wickets.
Durban has seen rain overnight... and though the sun is out again, I hope the early morning start will see a bit of help for the Indian pacers, particularly Zaheer Khan. If Sreesanth keeps his head about him, he may also prove to be crucial to the task.
For South Africa, the overnight batsmen are the key. Before they commenced the chase, I had figured out that four batsmen in their top-5 are the biggest threats in my opinion - Graeme Smith, Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis and AB De Villiers. Two of them are out and two of them are in. If the Indian pacers can use some help that they might gain from the conditions and dismiss these two early, the game might well be in the bag.
Yes, Ashwell Prince and Mark Boucher are good batsmen... and the South African lower order can hang around (Morkel and Harris) or even spank the ball a bit (Steyn). But the situation in this Test is so tight that it will be hard to hold the nerves.
Most people are saying that Harbhajan will be the key man considering the bounce he might be able to generate on the pitch. But I would still peg Zaheer as the key man for India. Bhajji might prove useful if the match gets too tight as he is a lot more experienced than the South African lower order batsmen (except Boucher).
There may not be a lot of clouds in the Kingsmead sky, but there should be a bit of moisture due to the rains last night. I hope India can use this to their advantage and manage a victory here. It is too tight to call at the moment. The match should begin in less than 10 minutes now... and I am off now to watch it.
There was the batting of Sachin Tendulkar and Harbhajan Singh... with MS Dhoni still holding ground. But with a batting lineup such as the one India boasts of, these performances are bound to be there even in a low score. So these are not the positives that I was thinking of.
There is one major positive... South Africa's lack of attacking backup bowlers. Steyn and Morkel bowled wonderfully and complemented each other well. Whereas Morkel worked his batsmen out by using the old one-two of a bouncer followed by a fuller length ball, Steyn was content on concentrating on his fuller length and generate swing at high speeds of over 90 mph during the post tea session. Steyn used very little of the bouncers... there was one very good one that hit Gambhir on the shoulder.
These two brilliant new ball operators have taken 7 of the 9 Indian wickets to fall thus far... 3 for Steyn and 4 for Morkel. However, apart from these two, no one in the South African attack has looked threatening enough. The bowling figures of Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Jacques Kallis and Paul Harris combined read 16 overs, 3 maidens, 1 wicket for 76 runs... i.e. 4.75 runs per over.
Though Kallis went at a decent 3.33 runs per over and also got 1 wicket of Raina, he was never threatening. He generated a decent pace, dug in a few short, but was well handled by most Indian batsmen. Tsotsobe was the reason today that India managed to cross the 100-run mark. All the 3 sixes of the Indian innings were hit of his bowling. And frankly, I was surprised that Graeme Smith persisted with him to give him 9 overs. Though Harris did not get a lot of chance, I am sure none of the Indian batsmen will be losing their sleep at the prospect of facing his bowling.
So even though the present situation of 136 - 9 is quite grave, India should know that there is still a lot left in the game. The weather may help India again as there are showers and thunderstorms expected on the 4th and 5th days. But apart from that, India will also know that if the initial burst of Steyn and Morkel can be seen through, the rest will not pose much of a threat and South Africa can then be attacked. Once there are a few runs on the board and the batsmen are settled in, even Steyn and Morkel will not be that very threatening in their further spells.
Even if Tsotsobe is replaced during the next Test by Ryan McLaren or Wayne Parnell, there is no reason to believe that they will be able to maintain the pressure exerted by their strike bowlers.
In such a scenario, it will be interesting to see how the Indian pacers perform. They are nowhere as good as Steyn and Morkel (especially in the absence of Zaheer Khan), but in helpful conditions, they can be a handful. If the Indian bowlers put up a large performance tomorrow, there may yet be a result in the match even if it rains over the last 2 days. Otherwise, we may go to Kingsmeade, Durban at 0 - 0.
The anticipation is almost palpable now. For both the Tests that start tomorrow... particularly South Africa v India at SuperSport Park, Centurion. I just hope that the Gods don't decide to pour water all over the show.
Since I have already done a preview (sort of) of the Perth Test, this one will focus on the Centurion one. The match starts on 16th December 2010. This day - the 16th of December - holds special memories for Indian Test cricket fans. Exactly 7 years ago, on 16th December 2003, India defeated a world-beating Steve Waugh-led Australia at Adelaide and announced to the world that lousy visitors we are no more!
It marked the start of a new era. Some may argue that this era began with the victory in England in 2002 itself... when we showed that we are capable of winning Tests in alien conditions as well. But the Adelaide win was way beyond just a win... it was a celebrated milestone, and India has not looked back since then.
Though there are question marks now over the spot of the chief architect of that win (viz. Rahul Dravid), there can be no denying that he would want to erase those question marks with a strong match and series winning performance in South Africa... along with his contemporaries Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman. The desire is almost a desperation now... and when such stalwarts are desperate, you know that something's bound to give!
On the other hand, South Africa is also aware of the importance of this series... and they know that a series win against India is the biggest step (almost a leap) that they can take in their desire of regaining the mantle of No. 1 Test team in the world. If the ICC Rankings are disconsidered for a moment, then there are a lot of people in the world who hold the belief that the South Africans are the real No. 1 team in the Test world. But India has an opportunity to shake this belief... to destroy this notion and firmly establish themselves as the best cricket team in whites.
The weather has been very wet in this build up to the First Test. There are chances that a lot of play will be lost on most of the days. So whereas I was initially hoping that India should bat first (simply because Gambhir - Sehwag v Steyn - Morkel is THE BATTLE of the series), now I hope otherwise. Batting first under cloudy skies with wetness in the pitch will be extremely difficult against the South African pace attack... just as it will be difficult for Smith, Peterson, Amla, Kallis, De Villiers and Prince against the Indian pace attack minus Zaheer Khan.
Zaheer's loss may have a telling effect, but the best that India could have hoped for in Zaheer's absence was for helpful conditions to assist the likes of Sreesanth, Ishant Sharma and Unadkat / Yadav (I believe that it will be the former who makes the cut tomorrow). If India does bowl first under overcast skies, that should compensate well enough for Zaheer's absence.
Talking about Zaheer, its only apt that we drop a line of two about Zaheer's potential replacement for the match as well. I would like to see Jaidev Unadkat make his debut tomorrow... and given how this 19-year old had performed six months back in his first-class debut at Leicester with a 13-for, I will definitely be hoping for another impressive performance on his Test debut. He (or Umesh Yadav) will be the 267th Test player for India... but I guess Unadkat will be the first teammate of Sachin Tendulkar who would have been born after the master made his debut over 21 years ago (he has played AGAINST youngsters who were born after his debut... I can recall Mohammed Aamer during the ODI match against Pakistan during the Champions Trophy last year).
Sorry for digressing... but now that I have brought up the topic of Sachin Tendulkar, there has to be a mention of the eagerly-awaited 50th Test ton also. Another feather in that cap, which must weigh a ton now!
On that note, I end this preview... and lets hope that we witness a cracking start to the blockbuster contest tomorrow.
Sulieman Benn grabbed his second 5-for in Test cricket... a few days after being ordered off the field by his captain in an ODI. But after what could be described as a slow and grinding day of Test cricket, the balance is slightly in favour of the visitors.
South Africa's eventual score of 352 came courtesy a gutsy innings from Mark Boucher... a half - century and a partnership will Dale Steyn that took the score to respectability after South Africa looked in trouble at 230-odd for 7.
This innings from Boucher came just a few days after it had been announced that he will not be a part of South Africa's limited overs team and the gloves would be handed over to AB De Villiers. The fact that he play as a non - wicketkeeper is a different story altogether.
When the announcement to exclude Boucher was made, I was wondering whether we'll get to see such innings again from him. But like a true fighter that he has been all his career, he raised his game when it mattered. However, he will do well to remember that this innings might have saved him for some time to come. But in case more such innings do not come out of his bat, he will face the selectors' ax sooner rather than later.
(contd...)
I have a feeling that Dhoni will prefer Yusuf over Jadeja... though I would prefer otherwise. Despite his torrid performances lately, I still find Jadeja as a much safer slow bowling option... particularly in 50-over cricket. Plus, he will turn the ball away from the right-hander, which should complement well with Harbhajan's off-spin. There are arguements for including Yusuf for his batting abilities. But then, all those abilities come to nought the moment he faces up to a pacer. And batting at No. 7, he is bound to face pacers at all times. Even if he is promoted up the order, the opposition captains will bring their pacers in immediately. His tryst with the short deliveries has been well noted and documented. Yusuf could not even get his bat to touch the ball on the last 2 balls of India's innings against Zimbabwe because they were bowled short by a certain medium pacer by the name of Mpofu. Imagine the damage that can be caused by a Dale Steyn or a Mitchell Johnson.
Coming to the bowling department now. The team is likely to go in with 3 pacers and a lone spinner in the form of Harbhajan Singh. The pacers are likely to be Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra and Praveen Kumar. There is a small question mark over Zaheer's form and a larger one over Praveen Kumar's place in the side. Though I am not particularly worried about Zaheer Khan, the third pacer's spot is certainly a cause of worry for MS Dhoni. He does not want his first change bowler to become a target for the opposition's top order... a bowler that will release the pressure after the new ball spell. There are several boys who will be eyeing Praveen Kumar's place: Vinay Kumar, S Sreesanth, Ishant Sharma... and many others. But I am not sure about any of them. It is quite possibly the weakest link of the squad.
As you might have noted... there is hardly anything similar between the ideal Team India for the World Cup and the team that lost to Zimbabwe. Suresh Raina... that's just about it. But the guys like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Dinesh Karthik and Vinay Kumar are likely to be the other members of the 15-men squad... the replacements in case of injuries, losses of form or commitment issues. And that is where the greater problem lies.
Are they good enough? Bobilli Vijay Kumar, in his article in Times of India titled 'Second String or Second Class?' ponders upon this issue. Maybe a Rohit Sharma will manage a 100 against a Zimbabwe and a Virat Kohli may do slightly better by hitting a 100 against Sri Lanka, but when they are under pressure... a knockout stage of a World Cup... a team as strong as Australia... backs to the wall situation... will they be able to deliver? They have done nothing so far to show that they can.
TEAM INDIA HAS BEEN SELECTED: CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT THE TEAM
What's the immediate goal for the Indian team? Obviously, it is identifying and preparing a squad for the World Cup 2011? To that effect, how much does the loss to Zimbabwe affect the plans?
What is the batting order expected to be like when the World Cup begins in February next year? The top order is expected to be Virendra Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar and Gautam Gambhir. The middle order would comprise of Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh. This would be the ideal top-6 if all the men are in form... fit and firing.
Currently however, there are question marks over form, fitness, commitment... just about everything. Most of those question marks, I believe, would be cleared by the turn of the year. One question that threatens to remain is that of Yuvraj Singh's attitude and commitment to Team India's cause. His waistline is causing a lot of problems for Team India and a lot of angst for fans because they can see a potential exceptionally-gifted match winner being wasted away.
There are limited all-round options... just Yusuf Pathan and Ravindra Jadeja. There is no pace all-round option... but in the short term, we do not need it. Pace-bowling all rounder is not going to be of much help in the sub-continent, unless he is of a Jacques Kallis pedigree. So, for now, we just have to be content with these two. In the first 11, only 1 of the 2 is likely to get the chance. After the top-6, Dhoni is likely to play an all-rounder at 7 followed by 4 bowlers... 3 of whom are likely to be seamers.
(contd...)
Yesterday's match: Deccan Chargers v Royal Challengers Bangalore
My Prediction: Royal Challengers Bangalore
Actual Winner: Deccan Chargers
Today's match 1: Mumbai Indians v Delhi Daredevils
My Prediction: Mumbai Indians
Today's Match 2: Chennai Super Kings v Kolkata Knight Riders
My Prediction: Chennai Super Kings
My Score: 3 / 8
DC scored their third consecutive win in this competition and this one was also their third consecutive win over RCB - winning both their matches this season after the finals last year. Needless to say, this result makes the points table even tighter (if that could be possible) and just as everyone has predicted, teams with better NRR will have a big advantage going ahead.
Dale Steyn bowling was magnificent to watch. He has some kind of a love affair with the VCA Stadium (Jamtha), Nagpur. He got a 10-wicket haul for South Africa at the same stadium in a Test against India in February... and his spell today was a timely reminder to everyone that high-quality fast bowling can still work in this format... it's not all about slower balls and cutters! It was sad that he had to end up on the losing side.
Today's first match will see Virendra Sehwag return to the Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai for the first time after his whirlwind 293 against Sri Lanka. Even Viru has a love affair with venues that have anything to do with 'M'. Mumbai, Multan, Melbourne, Motera, MA Chidambaram Stadium, etc.
With MI already in the semis, it will be interesting to see if they rest any of their key men. DD is in a desperate search of a win and Gambhir has his wish of playing an away game. A win for DD would more or less confirm them in the semis as well - because of their NRR. But MI would not want to lose their momentum.
The second match between CSK and KKR is a virtual knock-out match (even though both teams will still be in with a chance after losing). CSK look a lot better side... and KKR seem to be struggling with their combinations and belief to win.
What a pity that the two matches that deserved a weekend scheduling are going to be played on a Tuesday!
A flight from Kuala Lumpur to New Delhi takes about five and a half hours. Dr. Vijay Mallya said in his interview during the last match that he will reach New Delhi to catch RCB's match against DD.
The Formula One race at Sepang starts at 1330 IST. Considering that the race will take about 2 hours, and another half an hour for Dr. Mallya to take his leave and reach the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (just 10 mins from Sepang race circuit), he will not be able to leave before 1600 hrs. That means he will reach New Delhi only by 2130 hrs IST and reach the Kotla some time after that, maybe when the match is in its finishing stages.
But why am I trying to decipher Dr. Mallya's schedule? A very stupid reason, actually! The only other time that RCB played a match this season on a Formula One weekend (their first match against KKR), they lost it. When, they won the next few matches on a trot, I thought at that time that maybe, Dr. Mallaya is the lucky charm for the RCB side. His presence in the stadium inspired an RCB win.
Yes, RCB has lost two other matches after that, which were not held on Formula One weekends! But after 2008 season, RCB has not won a single match that was played on a Formula One Sunday. They lost 3 matches in South Africa 2009 that were held on the same Sundays as the Bahrain, Spanish and Monaco Grand Prix (the last one was the IPL 2009 Finals). They have already lost the match held on the day of this year's Bahrain Grand Prix.
So I have my prediction ready for the result of today's DD v RCB match to be held on the Malaysian Grand Prix Sunday: a win for Delhi Daredevils.
Apart from the very stupid reason stated above, I also feel that Viru is going to click today. Somehow, I also feel that RCB's bowling attack will be exactly what Viru will want in his search for a good form. Praveen Kumar and R Vinay Kumar, though extremely intelligent bowlers, might just provide Viru with the pace and length he would like to feed on. And apart from the bouncers from Steyn and Kallis, I do not feel much else will be a problem for him. He should be able to manage Anil Kumble as long as he keeps his cool.
Lets wait and see... we'll know by 11.30 pm tonight if Dr. Vijay Mallya is indeed RCB's lucky mascot!
Exactly one month from today, two teams will walk out on 25th April at Dr. D.Y. Patil Sports Academy Stadium in the finals of the Indian Premier League 2010. And there is a big chance that both those teams are amongst the ones playing today.
The Royal Challengers Bangalore are currently struggling in their chase of Delhi Daredevils' 183. However, there is no doubt in most people's minds that they are one of the two strongest teams in this tounament - the other one being Mumbai Indians.
Mumbai Indians will take on Chennai Super Kings in about an hour from now, hoping to get another win and take another step towards the semi-finals.
Both these teams, RCB and MI, have certain similarities - which might well be called the keys to their success thus far in this tournament.
1. Both these teams have relied on strong solid starts consistently, with two batsmen in the top-5 runs scorers list (Kallis and Tendulkar).
2. Both have a strong opening bowling combination (Zaheer + Malinga and Praveen + Steyn).
3. Both these teams have bowlers who bowl to pick up wickets in the middle overs as well, not just for containing the batsmen (R Vinay Kumar and Dwayne Bravo).
The fact that these teams have concentrated on strengthening their bowling department (an often neglected affair in this format) is paying dividends now. Lets hope we get to see India's highest run-scorer captain his side against the side of India's highest wicket-taker - that would truly be a final of the Indian Premier League.
Monday, 8th November 1999 (Hyderabad): He threatened to do it for the first time. But he just ran out of overs against the Kiwis and finished 186*.
Sunday, 8th March 2009 (Christchurch): We were almost sure that he'll get there. But with 5 overs to go, he retired hurt at 163.
Thursday, 5th November 2009 (Hyderabad): What a heartbreak! Not only did he get out on 175, but the Indian tail somehow contrived to lose the plot completely and succumb to the pressure.
Wednesday, 24th February 2010 (Gwalior): Finally, he gets there. Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar scales the hitherto unsurmounted peak of a Double Century in One Day International Cricket, finishing 200*.
In the process, SRT has broken some more records - most fours in an ODI innings (25), most 150+ scores in ODIs (5), and of course - the highest individual score by a batsman in One Day International Cricket.
When Sachin reached 179* in 42 overs, the target I wanted him to reach was 230. That's because the highest individual score in all forms of ODIs is 229* in Women's Cricket by the legendary Australian batswoman Belinda Clark in the 1997 Women's Cricket World Cup match at Mumbai against Denmark. But given the amount of frustration MS Dhoni caused to SRT fans like me, I think I should just be glad for the 200 - 200 of the silkiest and risk-free runs that Sachin might have ever scored.
Indeed, there was no dropped chance, one run out appeal to third umpire and one stumping appeal to the third umpire - both which were not very difficult decisions. In fact, except for one ball from Steyn (fourth ball of the fifth over of the match), Sachin was not beaten even once in his 147 ball stay at the crease.
If you are not already impressed, here's another one. After the first four balls that he faced from Steyn in which he did not score a run, there was no other occasion in his entire innings where he let four consecutive balls bowled to him go runless (Thank you Cricinfo for this bit of trivia). Such was the mastery!
He almost toyed around with the young Wayne Parnell (not that the other South African bowlers were spared). His two backfoot punches square on the off side early in the innings to Parnell from around the wicket were the highlights if his innings for me. Even honey can't get sweeter!
In the last 12 months, Sachin has shown that age is having no effect on his body. If anything, it is speeding him up. What else can explain 3 scores of 150+ in ODIs in the last one year? What the heck man, most batsmen would die to get one such score in their entire career!
Amidst all of this, it is so easy to forget that India won the match by 153 runs and take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series. This means that India have secured the No. 2 Rank in the ICC ODI Team Rankings as on the cut off date - 1st April.
Accolades are pouring from all over the world:
- No one deserved it more than him!
- He is a true champion!
- One of the best knocks ever!
- India's Superman!
- Cricket's best brand ambassador!
- We are priveleged to be living in the Sachin era!
- Sachin's a gem of a person, apart from being a great cricketer!
And he deserves all of it. I am not sure if I will see God when I die. So till then, I am just content watching Sachin Tendulkar.
Not being able to watch a Test match at Eden Gardens live on TV feels awful. Thank God for Cricinfo! Now, this Test is living up to its billing as the battle for World No. 1 Test team status. South Africa, continuing with their momentum from the Nagpur Test, dominated two sessions of opening day’s play. India, trying to hold on to their top ranking, suddenly roared back to life. Spurred on by vociferous Kolkata crowd, Zaheer and Harbhajan turned things around and South Africa were dismissed for less than 300.
Then, it was time for ‘Star Wars: Attack of the Clones’. Sehwag and Tendulkar made life difficult for Greame Smith’s boys, and Dale Steyn’s hostile spell of fast bowling in Nagpur might well have been story of some other time. South Africa, to their credit, did fight back. Three wickets late on Day 2 pegged India back just a little.
But India had more in store for them. The Eden Gardens specialist was due for a big score and what better time could he have chosen! VVS Laxman slowed down when Amit Mishra was trying to be Sehwag-like. But once he departed, he joined skipper MS Dhoni to grind the Proteas to a point from where even their most optimistic fans cannot hope for a return.
I am quite liking this Test Series (wish it could have been longer than 2 Tests, though). This series, thus far, is 1 and a half Test old. We have already seen 1 Double Century (Amla), 9 Centuries (Kallis, Sehwag, Sachin, Amla, Peterson, Sehwag, Sachin, Laxman , Dhoni), 1 Seven-for (Steyn), and few more good spells of fast as well as spin bowling (Steyn, Morkel, Harris, Zaheer, Harbhajan, Ishant). And what’s more, we already have 1 result and can expect another one in the next 2 days. Three debutants got a taste of Test cricket, and all of them showed mettle at some point or the other. One got a 50, another got a 100. We have even witnessed something very rare in Test cricket - 12 wides bowled by a bowler in an innings! What more could you ask for from Test matches!
This Test match is even attracting a fairly large crowd, who have been generous in their support for the home team, especially given their performance just a week back. Let’s hope this rivalry continues and the teams provide us with another thriller in the return series later this year.
During the third session today, Sunil Gavaskar, at one point during Harbhajan's over, remarked that Harbhajan, being a single fellow, should be bowling more maidens over... sorry, I meant, maiden overs.
Harbhajan, who had not bowled a single maiden up until then, promptly proceeded to bowl 2 maidens in what remained of the day and picked up 3 wickets on a dramatic evening that left South Africa bewildered and India overjoyed. Spurred on by the massive crowd at Eden Gardens, Zaheer and Harbhajan ensured that India end stronger on Day 1 after the situation looked bleak at the time for tea break.
On a Valentine's Sunday, Hashim Amla and debutant Alviro Peterson pounded India for majority of the day. Peterson looked impressive and Amla looked as if he had sworn that he will not get out on this tour. Sadly for him, Zaheer Khan induced an edge from him as he lost his wicket for the first time on this tour (incidentally, he had not gotten out even in the practice match against BP XI). That signalled the start of a collapse that has hauled India right back into the match.
The Eden Gardens crowd tomorrow, along with the rest of the nation, will be hoping that Gautam Gambhir continues his sublime touch that deserted him in Nagpur (for the first time in what seems like a decade). There is just one expectation from Sehwag - that he plays like Sehwag. It will be interesting who will come out to bat at No. 3 for India tomorrow, and how Dale Steyn and Co. react to the situation they are in at the moment.
Let the Lover's Day Test Match roll on.
The Indian team got a taste of reality over the last four days. It was embarassing to watch the match as an Indian fan. So, mid-way through the third day, I changed my mindset - I decided to watch the match as a cricket fan rather than an Indian cricket fan. Oh, it was so much more enjoyable then!
The South African team taught many lessons to a lot of people in India.
Lesson No. 1: While Steyn, Morkel and even Parnell (playing just his 2nd Test) were head and shoulders above the Indian seamers, even Paul Harris showed that he can be considered a better option than India's premier spinner Harbhajan Singh. Though Zaheer and Mishra did put in whole - hearted performances, it just cannot be compared to the South African effort - partly due to luck, but mainly due to skill and perseverance (in case of Harris).
Lesson No. 2: Amla and Kallis collectively scored 426 runs for South Africa in just one innings losing just one wicket between them. India's top 7 managed an aggregate of 410 runs in two attempts losing a total of 14 wickets between them. Here, I am very tempted to quote what Avijit Ghosh wrote in his blog 'Addiction' on Times of India:
"It is important to regularly play Test matches with teams with good bowling attacks. At the moment, only Australia, South Africa and Pakistan have penetrative all-wicket attacks. Playing against teams with ordinary bowlers gives an inflated sense of a batsman’s ability. Dhoni, for instance, is a master of mediocre bowling but is hardly the same batsman against stronger attacks. Closely examine his run of scores and you’ll know what I mean. And he was giving Harris more respect than he deserved."
Lesson No. 3: It does not matter that your coach has resigned just before coming into a very big series. It does not matter that your entire selection panel has been sacked. It does not matter that your cricket board is about to be restructured. What really happens on the 22 yards and the grass around it is what decides who the No. 1 Team in the world is going to be. And yes, amidst all this, they showed that even a selection panel that faced the ignomity of being sacked is better than the Indian selection panel.
Lesson No. 4: This lesson has already been covered by the quote from Avijit Ghosh's blog above. The BCCI needs to learn this lesson, and learn it fast. India needs to stop playing Sri Lanka every now and again. India need to face more of South Africa, Australia and even England in Test cricket. A 100 run loss in an ODI does hurt, but an innings defeat in a Test match at home humiliates. I hope BCCI gets the point and pays more attention to Test cricket.
Lesson No. 5: This is the most obvious one - fielding. No one really expected Indian fielding to match up to South African standards - and it didn't. Even though our fielding was not really street - level, but there is still a lot of scope for improvement.
Lesson No. 6: Perhaps the most important lesson of them all! The likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Virendra Sehwag and Rahul Dravid are still needed to guide the newer players. Their role in the team is perhaps more important than that of Dhoni himself. Everyone is talking about preparing for the transition period that India will have to face. But something that needs to be understood here is that the likes of Tendulkar and Dravid are needed to prepare the younger generation for the transition.
In the first innings, Badrinath lost his wicket soon after Sehwag got out. In the second innings, the writing on the wall became crystal clear once Sachin got out. To use examples of our recent past, Dravid and Sachin were needed to see India to respectability in the recent Bangladesh tour. In the Hyderabad ODI against Australia (better remembered for Sachin's masterly 175), Ravindra Jadeja looked cool as cucumber with Sachin at the other end. But as soon as he got out, Jadeja lost his cool and his wicket going for a suicidal single. There are a lot many more such cases, if only we could open our eyes to them.
The young guns on India all look promising. But they will need the help of their seniors to fulfill their promise. There are no two ways about it.
Okay, so I am on my way to get the prediction made in my last blog completely wrong. I would have thought before tea that a draw should not be too difficult a result for India to achieve on a slow paced Nagpur wicket. What I had not anticipated was Steyn's immaculate spell of reverse swing bowling after tea, the spell in which his figures read 5 wickets for 3 runs in 22 balls with 2 maidens. What more can a captain really ask for from his numero uno fast bowler?
The day started badly with an in-form Gautam Gambhir falling to Morkel without adding to his overnight score. Morkel's around-the-wicket line came back to trouble him in the evening, when he misjudged one to see his off stump kissed by the cherry. Sidharth Monga's bulletin on the 3rd day's play on Cricinfo said about Gambhir: "When it's not your day, it's probably not your evening either". After equalling Sir Viv Richards' record of scoring a fifty in 11 successive Tests, Gambhir could manage only 13 runs in this Test. As a matter of fact, he managed to score just 1 run today getting out twice to Morkel. Has Morkel found a new Andrew Strauss?
The other man to get out twice during the day, Virendra Sehwag, showed maturity for 212 minutes before throwing it all away. However, more than his first innings dismissal, I think that it's his second innings cheap dismissal that will have a bigger impact on the result of the match.
Dale Steyn. The blogs are buzzing about his achievement today. He got 8 wickets today (7 in the 1st innings and Sehwag in the 2nd). Five of those were specialist batsmen (if you count Saha as one). And what's worse for India, he is likely to get more tomorrow and finish with a 10-wicket haul for the match.
Yes, there are people (including Viru) praying for a repeat of Kolkata 2001. Some are even thinking of invoking the rain Gods. But the mood that he was in today, I doubt Steyn would have any of that distracting him tomorrow.
As I write this Dhoni has opened his account on the 15th ball that he faced and Badrinath has reached his maiden Test fifty in his Test debut. All this after Sehwag's responsible-till-his-dismissal-shot innings of 109 very valuable runs for India and Dale Steyn's fiery spell of fine swing bowling in the morning (very ably supported by Morne Morkel).
South Africa dominated India over the last 2 days (except for the first hour on the first day). And they have continued their dominance even today, despite Sehwag's knock. It's weird that no Indian batsman, apart from Sehwag, averages 50+ against South Africa in India. There will be chances over the course of this series, but it will not be an easy task if Dale Steyn has his say.
Dale Steyn has been in tremendous form since his return after injury in the Second Test against England. His spell to Paul Collingwood in the Third Test would have fetched him a 5-for on any other day. Lady Luck was just not happy with him that day. But he made up for it in the Fourth Test, finally getting a 5-for that he deserved in the previous Test itself. And now, with his outstanding spell this morning, he is well on his way to having an outstanding series here in India as well.
However, despite India's troubles, I think that the most likely result of this match is a draw. There are 7 more sessions left in the match. Assuming that South Africa would want atleast 2 sessions of batting for themselves to set India a reasonable target, India has to bat out 5 sessions for 16 wickets. Given the batting form of the team, I do not think this should be a very difficult task (despite having two debutants).
I hope that Badri can manage a good score here and push Yuvraj Singh out of the Test spot. At the age of 29, his chance was overdue.
South Africa started their campaign in India with a practice match today against the Board President's XI Team at the home city of the Board's President (yes, that's Nagpur). This match is being played in the old VCA Stadium in Nagpur, the stadium that hosted the match when Australia conquered the final frontier under Gilchrist's leadership on a green top (Sourav Ganguly infamously pulled out of the match just before the toss).
The first Test is to be played at the new VCA Stadium (Jamtha). And if the last few matches on this venue are any indication, this pitch will be a batting beauty, though a little on the slower side. Despite this shortcoming, India comprehensively beat Australia in the only Test match held on this ground. I do not think South Africa will be easy to counter.
Morne Morkel (the biggest threat in my opinion) and Wayne Parnell (3 wickets each) have gotten their chance to get accustomed to the conditions in Nagpur. They have showed that they can be big threats. Dale Steyn does not need to show it, he has proved it in the past (remember Ahmedabad?) that he is dangerous. India's middle order will have one debutant and another playing just his fourth Test. The only concern for South Africa will be their batting, which has not been very inspiring in the England series. I do not count their spin department as a concern for the simple reason that they have never depended on it.
The batters will have their chance to get a bit of match practice in on Wednesday against Board President's XI's attack. Ashwell Prince and JP Duminy would like to have a few runs in their kitty and a boost to their confidence. And by the way, Dhoni is yet to lose a Test as a captain. An intriguing battle is on cards.
