Some win
Its hard to accurately describe the value of this win in Johannesburg. A win abroad has been a rarity in Indian cricket. That hoodoo was broken a while ago in Ganguly's reign as India won at Adelaide, Headingley, Kandy, Multan, and Rawalpindi. We even managed to win at Kingston. But a win in South Africa somehow seemed even more elusive. After all, India had won at Adelaide, not the quickest of Australian wickets, against an attack that lacked both McGrath and Warne. Headingley, was, well, against England (the version that was playing in 2002). And Kingston, gee, that was only the West Indies. But this win against South Africa, while against a team that was definitely weaker than the Australian batting lineup at Adelaide, was stronger in the bowling on paper (Ntini, Nel and Pollock), and was achieved by a team that should have been in the doldrums, what with a disastrous one-day showing behind them, and the possible troublesome return of Sourav Ganguly.
Instead, India's batsmen, bowlers, and fielders all came to the party, and ensured a memorable win. The only thing missing in their win was a crowd as the Wanderers stayed disappointingly empty (just like Rawalpindi was on that final day when India wrapped up the series against Pakistan two years ago). But there was no mistaking the elation in the Indian team's celebrations - and those of their fans.
Instead, India's batsmen, bowlers, and fielders all came to the party, and ensured a memorable win. The only thing missing in their win was a crowd as the Wanderers stayed disappointingly empty (just like Rawalpindi was on that final day when India wrapped up the series against Pakistan two years ago). But there was no mistaking the elation in the Indian team's celebrations - and those of their fans.
posted by Samir Chopra at 9:29 PM
2 Comments:
Pushing out the fielder on the point boundary
Graeme Smith has lost this (glorious, fascinating, wonderfully typically gripping) Test at Port Elizabeth, very simply, by pushing out the fielder on the point boundary. A South African team with Ntini and Pollock bowling like gods should not lose, get this, Pakistan chase 191 and are 5/92 just after lunch with Yousuf and Inzi just gone after marvellous pressure bowling and fielding, winning those stories, so game over, no? with no Pakistan tail and another couple overs from the demon blackandwhite pair just so tight and no runs in sight, till Pollock drops just one short, I mean we all do right :), over 41.3 check it out from http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/rsavpak/engine/current/match/250666.html, right, before that ball it's 5/96 and the Africans are winning all up for sure Inzi gone Yousuf gone go home 2-0 thank you Smith mouthing off as ever from slip, don't get me started, ok, then the dumb defensive skip thinks 'O! Polly's getting tired! He's so old! Let's push the man back even though we're about to take the 6th wicket and run through the tail and win!' and next ball - look at the cricinfo commentary, it's true, as a tedious bowler I know the pain - there's one, straight to deep point, wouldn't have been a glimmer of a run without the guy pushed back, and then next ball Kamran Akmal slices (a beauty) through the empty 3rd slip, then gets 1 off the last ball, and it's all on, and just look at the next few overs how many go through backward point for 1s and a couple 2s and suddenly they need not 99 but 69, then *more* go through backward point until Akmal stops messing and slicing and plays some glorious pull shots to go with Younis's matchwinning dig. How could Smith not bring Polly back instead of gruesome Nel for the 51st or 53rd or even 55th over when they still needed 31???? The worst captaincy I've seen for years all up.
We did very well to win that match and the one day series against WI was also very good... with some player just warming up before the world cup... it looks good for indian cricket
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