African hunters corner Indian tigers into submission
JAIDEEP MARAR

MUMBAI, FEB 26: ``Back home, Jacques Kallis is slated to become the best-ever South African cricketer while Mark Boucher is deemed to be the best wicket-keeper batsman of the nation. They are mentally very strong and most importantly they are young,'' extolled Ali Bacher, the United Cricket Board of South Africa (UCBSA) Managing Director, on the virtues of the duo who had crafted a sensational South African victory in the first Test at the Wankhede Stadium here on Saturday.

Kallis and Boucher displayed strength of character to guide South Africa to an exciting victory in a Test which came to an end with over two days remaining.

The 23-year-old Boucher had joined Kallis with the team reeling at 128 for six -- still 35 runs away from success. The Indians were hemming in the South African batsmen with leg-spinner Anil Kumble ripping the ball off the wicket. But Boucher combined adventure and unorthodoxy to slam four boundaries in successive overs of debutant left-arm spinner Murali Kartik to swiftly tilt the balance of the contest in his team's favour.

At the other end, the 25-year-old Kallis was a picture of intense concentration and poise as he tamed the twins terrors of a spiteful pitch and a dangerous-looking Kumble. Kallis' heroics ensured that South Africa handed out Indians their first defeat in 12 years at the venue.

The Indians were always fighting a lost cause after their batsmen had sustained their insipid display from Australia right through the Test.

Resuming from the overnight score of 75 for five, the Indian innings crumbled within 74 minutes for the addition of mere 38 runs. From there on it all boiled down to the South Africans' abilities of taming the Kumble Effect.

Openers Gary Kirsten and Hershcelle Gibbs provided an ideal platform for the second time in the match. Though Kumble got into the act by claimed them, Kallis and Hansie Cronje overcame the initial hiccups for a 31-run alliance. The third wicket pair appeared to have gained total control of the proceedings before Cronje departed to the alacrity of Wasim Jaffer at forward short-leg.

The pendulum swung towards India's way as Kumble and Kartik, bowling in tandem, prised out dangermen Lance Klusener and Shaun Pollock besides Pieter Strydom. It was a period when India raised visions of victory. The batsmen were forced to labour for every run with braveheart Kumble shouldering the responsibility with aplomb.

However, Kartik's failure to keep his nerves opened the floodgates for South Africa. The run flow turned into a stream with the arrival of Boucher and there was little option for Tendulkar, who surprisingly didn't chance his arm. ``The regular bowlers were doing the job so I didn't felt the need to bowl,'' was his explanation later in the day.

Kallis overcame the lbw appeals that were turned down by umpire Srinivas Venkataraghavan off the first five balls he faced from Kumble exhibited the right technique on the track. Such was his assurance that it appeared he would bat till eternity. It was this belief that enabled South Africans script their success.

The day had begun ominously for the home team with Nayan Mongia suffering a finger injury during a training session. The Indian think-tank's decision of gearing up Mongia to brace up to the South African pacemen by peppering him with short-pitched deliveries backfired when the wicket-keeper was rapped on his right index finger. And by the time Mongia took treatment to remove the blood clot, he was walking in as the last man.

The Baroda skipper took the attack into the rival camp by slamming Cronje for a six over the bowler's head and scored 19 of the 21-run association for the last-wicket with Kartik. Had it not been for Mongia, the Indians who had lost six wickets for 19 runs, wouldn't have even attained the three-figure mark.

Cronje triggered the slide with his lateral movement of the ball by claiming Kumble and Agarkar. Pollock, who gave nothing in the 20 balls that he bowled on Saturday, accounted for Rahul Dravid, who was left waging a lone battle. In fact, Cronje expressed surprise at the manner in which the Indians surrendered meekly. ``We were looking at chasing 200 but the Indians surprised me with their display.''

But for Indian cricket fans, such `surprises' have become a way of life. The only difference being that now they are watching it happen at home.

SCOREBOARD

India: (1st innings) 225

South Africa: (1st innings) 176

India (2nd innings; overnight 75-5)

Wasim Jaffer c Klusener b Pollock (22b, 35m, 1x4) 6

(nudged an away going delivery)

Venkata Sai Laxman c Boucher b Donald (6b, 10m) 0

(failed to keep away from a snorter)

Rahul Dravid b Pollock (187m, 127b, 6x4) 37

(inside-edged a pull)

Sachin Tendulkar lbw Cronje (11b, 20m, 2x4) 8

(shouldered arms to an in-cutter)

Saurav Ganguly c Klusener b Pollock (42b, 58m, 4x4, 1x6) 31

(edged to first slip while driving away from the body)

Ajay Jadeja c Boucher b Donald 1 (13b, 15m) 1

(gloved a leg-side delivery)

Anil Kumble c Boucher b Cronje (29b, 36b) 4

(edged an away swinger)

Ajit Agarkar c Boucher b Cronje (18b, 24m) 3

(caugt in two minds to play a half-volley ended up edging)

Murali Kartik c Boucher b Pollock (23b, 33m) 2

(swung bat to a widish delivery, appeared not to have made contact but umpire ruled otherwise)

Javagal Srinath run out (2b, 5m) 0

(ran to the other end without paying attention to the batsman's call)

Nayan Mongia not out (10b, 22m, 3x4, 1x6) 19

Extras: (lb1, nb1) 2

Total: (all out in 50.2 overs) 113

Fall of wickets: 1-5 (Laxman, 2.5 overs), 2-13 (Jaffer, 8), 3-24 (Tendulkar 12), 4-73 (Ganguly, 24.5), 5-75 (Jadeja, 28.3), 6-80 (Kumble, 38), 7-92 (Agarkar, 43.5), 8-92 (Dravid, 44.4), 9-92 (Srinath, 45.3), 10-113 (Kartik, 50.2)

Bowling: Donald 14-6-23-2, Pollock 12.2-6-24-4, Kallis 5-1-21-0, Cronje 12-5-23-3, Eksteen 7-3-21-0

South Africa (2nd innings)

Gary Kirsten c Mongia b Kumble (52b, 72m, 1x4) 20

(gloved a leg-break)

Herschelle Gibbs c Dravid b Kumble (75b, 108m, 9x4) 46

(prodded to silly-point)

Jacques Kallis not out (129b, 191m, 5x4) 36

Hansie Cronje run out (Jaffer) (45b, 55m, 2x4) 13

(failed to regain crease after a defensive shot, forward short-leg threw down stumps)

Pieter Strydom c Ganguly b Kartik (12b, 16m) 3

(nudged a sharp turner to first slip)

Lance Klusener c Srinath b Kumble (15b, 13m) 1

(skied a top-spinner for mid-on to run backwards to take the catch)

Shaun Pollock lbw Kumble (18b, 23m, 1x4) 5

(beaten by top-spinner)

Mark Boucher not out (32b, 46m, 6x4) 27

Extras: (b4, lb9) 13

Total: (for 6 wickets, in 63 overs) 164

Fall of wickets: 1-51 (Kirsten, 17.5), 2-76 (Gibbs, 25.2), 3-107 (Cronje, 38.4), 4-110 (Strydom, 43.1), 5-115 (Klusener, 46.5), 6-128 (Pollock, 52.5)

Bowling: Srinath 11-3-26-0, Agarkar 4-1-15-0, Kumble 25-12-56-4, Kartik 19-5-50-1, Tendulkar 1-0-4-0

Result: South Africa won by four wickets

Man of the match: Sachin Tendulkar

Second Test: March 2-5 at Bangalore

Copyright © 2000 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.