Don't bash Biff

Handshakes and smiles all round.
More records for the statisticians and honour retained. At least, that’s the way things were seen if you were wearing South African or Indian team sunglasses.

Had you gone to the Indian set-up before the start of the series and offered them a 1-1 result, they’d have bitten your hand off to take it. Which is why they showed no ambition in chasing their target on the final day at Newlands.

Remember that on the final day India reached 166 for 3 in 82 overs before the game was called off. The run-rate was a pedestrian 2.02 per over and even the great Sachin Tendulkar “hit” 14 runs from 91 balls, at a strike rate of 15.38.

There hasn’t been a duller day of Test cricket seen in South Africa since 26 December 1999 when England crawled to 135-2 in 85 overs on the opening day of the third Test in Durban.

So, those who have criticised Graeme Smith and his team for not declaring earlier, or not going for the victory, also need to examine India’s role in the draw.

They came to Newlands to escape defeat and when they had the Proteas at 130-6 on the fourth day they probably couldn’t believe they were in with a shout of winning the series.

India are the No1 team in the world and on the balance of the three Tests they will be the happier of the two camps. Twice they lost what were crucial tosses – the opening Test at Centurion in particular reminded one of the PA announcer at Taunton when Joel Garner used to play for the home side. “Somerset have won the toss and it’s Garner to break,” using a snooker analogy in reference to the greentop.

And in timing his declaration, Smith no doubt had a look at the Indian batting line-up and pondered the prospects of the tourists getting off to a flying start.

As Ravi Shastri, commentating for SuperSport, observed. “The problem is Virender Sehwag. What if you set India a target of 250 – and then Sehwag is still there after an hour. Suddenly that target becomes very gettable.”

Smith obviously looked at his own team. If Dale Steyn or Morne Morkel didn’t make an early breakthough, who do you give the ball to? Bear in mind an injured Jacques Kallis was unable to bowl – the captain couldn’t factor that in before the Test started – and remember too that Kallis, a great allrounder, has taken 270 Test wickets. Remove him from the bowling equation and that’s a huge void left to fill.

Who was Smith to fill it with? Lonwaba Tsotsobe, promising but a Test greenhorn with nine wickets at an average of 49.77?Paul Harris, 103 Test wickets from 37 matches at an average of 37.87 each? The wag in the crowd who held up the banner: “Harris, we’ve seen your straight one, now show us one that turns,” got it spot on. Plus, it has also to be mentioned that the temperature was near 40 deg C, which makes it exhausting for the fielders chasing leather all day.
- Gary Lemke, writing for the Sunday Argus