The South Africans have got off to a dream start in the Centurion test as they tore through the much vaunted Indian batting line up on day one of the eagerly awaited series that is being touted as the battle for the number one spot in test match cricket.
The much vaunted Indian batting line up was blown away by the pace and swing of Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Jacques Kallis on a wicket that offered seam movement especially after heavy rain in the morning of the match freshened up a lively track even further.
The hosts won the toss and never looked back and at the end of a curtailed day had reduced Mahindra Singh Dhoni’s men to an abysmal 136/9.
Even reaching the 100 mark looked tough at a time when the top order was sent packing reducing the tourists to 70 odd of six wickets.
The Indian captain who held firm in the closing stages of the day had an able ally in Harbhajan Singh, who before his mindless run out had scored 27 runs off 25 balls with the aid of some lusty blows.
After the day’s play, Harbhajan stated that the wicket was an extremely demanding one especially after being forced to bat.
"We were quite prepared to play on a good track, but unfortunately with the rain and stuff it was quite a damp wicket," he said. "The toss was very crucial to this match. We lost the toss. They bowled well in the given conditions, and they got the rewards. If we had won the toss, I think we would have done the same thing. We would have bowled first, then who knows what would have happened."
The turbanator dispelled the impression that the wicket would stay the same for the rest of the match; he claimed that taking wickets would be really tough for his team once the pitch settles down which he expects would happen as early as the second day.
He also stated that even a warm up match would not have helped his team much, especially as the wicket would have been different to the one they have been asked to play the test on.
"I don't know how long it will help the seamers," he said. "But definitely there is a lot of movement after pitching, swinging and cutting both ways, because it is damp. If we get the sun tomorrow, obviously it will play a lot better than it did today. That's what I think. I could be wrong.”
He further went on to say that they are playing on a wet wicket where the ball is seaming or nipping. A warm-up game would have been on a perfect cricketing wicket. They can't complain about wickets and need to make sure they come back into the game.
The task is cut out for the Indians when they come out to resume their innings tomorrow; firstly, they have to hope for a real rearguard action from their skipper Dhoni who is at the crease with last man debutant Jaidev Unadkat.
Secondly they have to make inroads into the South African batting line-up almost immediately as in all likelihood they are not going to add more than 25 runs to their current total barring a miraculous stand for the last wicket.
Another negative that they are facing in the match is the absence of their regular wicket taker Zaheer Khan, who has remained their leading wicket taker in recent years and has troubled the best in the business with his late swing and pace.
They are in desperate trouble already and the test is only a day old.
The much vaunted Indian batting line up was blown away by the pace and swing of Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Jacques Kallis on a wicket that offered seam movement especially after heavy rain in the morning of the match freshened up a lively track even further.
The hosts won the toss and never looked back and at the end of a curtailed day had reduced Mahindra Singh Dhoni’s men to an abysmal 136/9.
Even reaching the 100 mark looked tough at a time when the top order was sent packing reducing the tourists to 70 odd of six wickets.
The Indian captain who held firm in the closing stages of the day had an able ally in Harbhajan Singh, who before his mindless run out had scored 27 runs off 25 balls with the aid of some lusty blows.
After the day’s play, Harbhajan stated that the wicket was an extremely demanding one especially after being forced to bat.
"We were quite prepared to play on a good track, but unfortunately with the rain and stuff it was quite a damp wicket," he said. "The toss was very crucial to this match. We lost the toss. They bowled well in the given conditions, and they got the rewards. If we had won the toss, I think we would have done the same thing. We would have bowled first, then who knows what would have happened."
The turbanator dispelled the impression that the wicket would stay the same for the rest of the match; he claimed that taking wickets would be really tough for his team once the pitch settles down which he expects would happen as early as the second day.
He also stated that even a warm up match would not have helped his team much, especially as the wicket would have been different to the one they have been asked to play the test on.
"I don't know how long it will help the seamers," he said. "But definitely there is a lot of movement after pitching, swinging and cutting both ways, because it is damp. If we get the sun tomorrow, obviously it will play a lot better than it did today. That's what I think. I could be wrong.”
He further went on to say that they are playing on a wet wicket where the ball is seaming or nipping. A warm-up game would have been on a perfect cricketing wicket. They can't complain about wickets and need to make sure they come back into the game.
The task is cut out for the Indians when they come out to resume their innings tomorrow; firstly, they have to hope for a real rearguard action from their skipper Dhoni who is at the crease with last man debutant Jaidev Unadkat.
Secondly they have to make inroads into the South African batting line-up almost immediately as in all likelihood they are not going to add more than 25 runs to their current total barring a miraculous stand for the last wicket.
Another negative that they are facing in the match is the absence of their regular wicket taker Zaheer Khan, who has remained their leading wicket taker in recent years and has troubled the best in the business with his late swing and pace.
They are in desperate trouble already and the test is only a day old.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for giving us your valuable comments. Please send your suggestions to improve this blog.
Latest Cricket Matches Blog Team