Kohli challenges batting unit to rectify mistakes

Kohli challenges batting unit to rectify mistakes

 

“We are going to treat this Test as an individual Test match that we need to come out and play our best cricket and try to be in the same positions we were in the first two Tests,” said Kohli. © BCCI

With India facing the prospect of a first series whitewash in South Africa with the third Test starting in Johannesburg on Wednesday (January 24), Virat Kohli called on his men to take individual responsibility for awareness in their games. India let slip several chances in the second Test in Centurion, while not seizing the key moments in the first Test in Cape Town either.

“It’s an individual responsibility. Although it’s a team game, each individual is doing his own thing at any given time,” said Kohli on Tuesday. “I think you have to realise that to rectify that aspect of your game. Like I said, the individuals have reflected on those things, and when a similar situation arrives, you have to make sure you don’t repeat the same mistake. That’s when you know you have made progress.

“Look, fielding is obviously a big factor,” he added. “They have fielded better than us and it’s visible. It’s not a question of having numbers attached to it. That is something we definitely need to step up because fielding I feel is a bit of a controllable on the field. It depends on an individual’s attitude. Batting I would still say, there’s always a bowler involved who has his skills as well and the same for a bowler up against a batsman. From the batting point of view, I’ve mentioned it’s a personal responsibility and from the fielding point of view, it’s just a mindset of wanting to make a difference for the team every ball that you are standing on the park. Definitely these two things we have to take into consideration going into this Test match.”

“They have fielded better than us and it’s visible. That is something we definitely need to step up because fielding I feel is a bit of a controllable on the field. It depends on an individual’s attitude. From the batting point of view, it’s a personal responsibility and from the fielding point of view, it’s just a mindset of wanting to make a difference for the team every ball that you are standing on the park. Definitely these two things we have to take into consideration going into this Test match.”

Kohli did stress on taking the positives from the two defeats, including the fact that India’s bowlers had taken 20 wickets in both Tests. “Not many times on overseas tours have we picked 40 wickets in two Test matches. So I think that’s a big boost for us. If the bowlers can continue doing their job, and as I said before the series that whichever side bats better wins the series, and that’s been the case so far.

“But it’s never a bad time to start anything, that’s what I believe in and, as I said, batsmen are looking to rectify the mistakes that happened in the first two games. Because it’s a chance for everyone to step up in times that have not gone our way and to change things around for us. That will build characters, that will build individuals and that will build personalities. That can be a milestone for guys going to forward if they can step up in this game and be the difference for us in this Test match.”

The Wanderers Stadium pitch has been left with a generous cover of green, and both Kohli and Faf du Plessis felt it would be a seamers’ track. That means India could go in without a specialist spinner, something Kohli indicated was possible. “There is a lot of grass on the pitch, so we would definitely look at that option,” he said. “I am sure both the teams would be thinking about those options, because, as I said, we have taken 40 wickets so far and we need to figure out what’s the best way to pick up 20 wickets again in this Test match. We are going to have discussion on that and the other combinations of the whole team.”

Kohli stressed on approaching the third Test as a fresh game, independent of the series result. “Obviously it’s disappointing when you don’t win games. When you feel like you can feel that positive vibe in the change room that you can do it and then not being able to capitalise it in the crunch moments obviously doesn’t feel good,” he reflected. “Every game you play you have to start fresh and not think about what happened in the past. And that goes for bowlers, batsmen and as a team. We are going to treat this Test as an individual Test match that we need to come out and play our best cricket and try to be in the same positions we were in the first two Tests and try to consolidate on it and actually close the game.”


“Not many times on overseas tours have we picked 40 wickets in two Test matches. So I think that’s a big boost for us.” © BCCI

As a captain, Kohli has led in 34 Tests and been in charge of the Test side for close to two years now. However, he reiterated that he was still learning, and that would never stop.

“Every game is a learning whether you win or lose. The only thing that you learn is, you can go out and try to do things that have happened in the past, try and not make those errors and that’s probably the only thing that you take forward as a captain and as an individual also,” he elaborated. “That’s how your progress is determined at this level. It’s not like you stop learning at any stage. When you win you learn as well.

“As a captain as well, you want to proudly do better in situations when the game has gone away from you at times. So, I have thought about those things as well – how you can still keep the pressure on and not let the game slip away in very quick time. I always keep thinking about my game, how I can learn as a captain and get better in every aspect of what I do.”

Kohli has always been one to embrace the responsibility of leadership, and he reiterated that he would continue to do so, and that the current reverses suffered were part of his growth. “If I didn’t learn from the early days of my career, I wouldn’t be here,” he said. “Responsibility can become less or more according to different phases. It’s all about hanging in there and accepting all the phases that are coming your way. Sometimes the team is playing so beautifully, you don’t need to do anything you feel so relaxed. So even this is a part of it. I have to take it in my stride and go forward. And not sit here and say ‘this is a lot of burden’. That’s not the right attitude. I’m willing to go through any kind of phase, I have gone through bad phases in my career. Ups and downs are a part of a sportsman’s career and I understand that.”

I knew I could win the game, says Zaryab

I knew I could win the game, says Zaryab

Pakistan have sealed a spot in the Under-19 World Cup 2018 semifinal, courtesy Ali Zaryab’s unbeaten 74 in chase of 190 for a three-wicket win over South Africa. © ICC

Pakistan Under-19’s wall. That’s how Hasan Khan, the team’s captain, described Ali Zaryab after the No. 4 batsman played yet another match-winning knock in a high-pressure chase to seal a spot in the World Cup 2018 semifinal.

Even as wickets tumbled around him, Zaryab remained unbeaten on 74 and took Pakistan home in chase of 190 for a three-wicket win over South Africa, who refused to give up till almost the very end. It was the Zaryab’s consecutive half-century, after a similar knock of 59 against Sri Lanka in a chase of 189 helped Pakistan get to the quarterfinal.

“The wall for Pakistan Under-19 cricket team,” said Hasan after the game. “The way he batted today and in previous match as well, I hope he continues that form and do well in the next few matches as well.”

Pakistan found themselves in trouble at 111 for 5 and still needed 79 more when Saad Khan, the No. 7, joined Zaryab. The two batted together for a 65-run stand filled with sensible batting and calmness the top order would do well to learn from. Saad, and Muhammad Musa, who had played a crucial finisher’s knock against Sri Lanka, fell late in the chase but Zaryab took Pakistan home without any panic.

“I was only thinking about playing the 50 overs,” explained Zaryab. “If I play 50 overs, I can chase on my own. I was confident because I knew that I can finish on my own. My game is to start with singles and score heavily against bad balls, that was my game plan.”

Zaryab’s knock earned praise from the opposition skipper as well.

“Under the circumstances, it was a fantastic innings from him,” said Raynard van Tonder, the South African captain. “He batted really well and was quite calm under pressure. He showed great maturity to finish the game for them, so well done to him.”

Van Tonder’s counterpart was obviously pleased with Zaryab’s effort but agreed the job shouldn’t have been made that difficult.

“We could have finished it earlier and more easily,” he assessed. “But it’s a learning experience for all of us. Hopefully we don’t repeat them in the next match. Exceptional bowling once again. The way they bowled today was outstanding.”

The next match for Pakistan will be against the winner of India and Bangladesh, leaving a potential India v Pakistan clash in the semifinal. Hasan was not bothered who would progress to meet his side.

“Not really, as I said at the start of the World Cup, any team can do anything,” he said. “We’re looking forward to the match, we’re not worried about which team we’re facing, we’ll stick to our basics and hopefully we’ll do well.”

On the other hand, van Tonder rued yet another top-order collapse. Apart from their first match against Kenya when they scored 341, South Africa have been 112 for 5 against Windies, 76 for 4 against New Zealand and now 135 for 6 against Pakistan.

“Our top order didn’t step up today,” he said. “I believed fully that they are going to score some runs but unfortunately they didn’t. Our middle order batted quite well to get us into a decent position. I think we were about 20 runs short, if we could have got 20 runs somewhere, we could have been quite close of winning this.

“As a batting unit we haven’t really stood up. I felt only in the Kenya game we batted well, but we got ourselves into trouble with the bat every game.”

South Africa’s dreams of winning the tournament have ended, but there are learnings van Tonder takes back.

“Today’s game, playing in a quarterfinal on TV, lot of learnings and experiences going into the future if we get into the same situation again,” he said. “I’ve learned as a captain a lot and the team also learned a lot. For me, we haven’t really played on TV, so it’s about dealing with the pressure of other people looking at you from all over the world.”

We see Jemimah Rodrigues as the future of women’s cricket, says Mithali Raj

We see Jemimah Rodrigues as the future of women’s cricket, says Mithali Raj

Jemimah Rodrigues was rewarded with a call-up for her consistent numbers in age-group and senior domestic cricket over the past two seasons. © Getty Images

When India Women turn out for their first One-Day International against South Africa Women on February 5 in Kimberley, Mithali Raj’s team, the 2017 World Cup runners-up, will play their first international game in six months.

This considerable break is, however, not all a bad thing, according to Raj. Given their busy schedule in the run-up to the World Cup, and commitments against England and Australia to come at home from March, the team benefited from the time off, she argued.

“It’s been a long season for us. After the World Cup it was important for the girls to recover. We had a few injuries,” she told presspersons in Mumbai ahead of the team’s departure on Tuesday (January 23). “Ideally, we would have preferred to have continuation and (carry the winning) momentum. But it is also important that after a long season you have time to recover and regain your fitness levels.
“A lot of players had niggles that needed time to recover. That gap has given us time to work on ourselves.”

Despite the lack of internationals, the team isn’t lacking match practice. A well-contested domestic season, with a revamped Challengers Trophy, has meant the players have been in “match mode”.
There have also been two camps, one for fitness in Bangalore, and a tour preparatory camp in Mumbai over the past week for the senior players. The three uncapped members of the ODI squad — Jemimah Rodrigues, Taniya Bhatia and Pooja Vastrakar — were also a part of an India A camp and featured in matches against Bangladesh A.

“The girls have worked hard on fitness,” said Raj. “Everyone is looking agile.”

Sachin Tendulkar shared his tips on preparation, batting and facing pressure. © Twitter

With Afzal Khan, a former Ranji player with Services and trainer with Mumbai Indians, and Ashutosh Dandige, the video analyst who has worked with India A, joining the support staff after the World Cup, the camp was a high-intensity affair, with the training regime having been especially streamlined.

“During the Challengers, you must have seen, fielding levels have gone up. And during this camp, we made some wickets bouncier,” added Tushar Arothe, the coach.

Keeping in mind the bounce expected in South Africa, the home team’s tendency to play four pacers, and the fact that this will be India’s first series under new playing conditions where there will be two new balls, the team faced Mumbai’s Under-16 boys in the nets.

Also providing a morale boost was Sachin Tendulkar, who on Monday shared with the team his tips on preparation, batting and facing pressure.

Learning from Tendulkar and Raj, who were both thrust into the limelight in India colours by the age of 16, was Rodrigues, still only 17. The Mumbai youngster was rewarded with a call-up for her consistent numbers in age-group and senior domestic cricket over the past two seasons. In the practice match at Wankhede Stadium where the women and Under-16 boys were divided into two teams, Rodrigues made a hundred before she was retired out.

“The current team interacts with each other really well. There is nothing like a 17-year-old, or a senior-most. We feel all of us are very good [to be at the international level],” said Raj, explaining how she and Jhulan Goswami, who are 34 and 35 respectively, connect with the young batter.
“To make her comfortable is our responsibility. When you make a debut as young as her, there are so many things that run through a young player’s head, so as senior players, we try and keep things simple for her. Because we see her as the future of women’s cricket.”

ODI Squad: Mithali Raj (capt), Harmanpreet Kaur (vice-capt), Sushma Verma (wk), Ekta Bisht, Smriti Mandhana, Poonam Yadav, Punam Raut, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Jemimah Rodrigues, Jhulan Goswami, Deepti Sharma, Shikha Pandey, Mona Meshram, Pooja Vastrakar, Veda Krishnamurthy, Taniya Bhatia (wk).

T20I Squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Smriti Mandhana (vice-capt), Mithali Raj, Veda Krishnamurthy, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Anuja Patil, Taniya Bhatia (wk), Nuzhat Parveen (wk), Poonam Yadav, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Jhulan Goswami, Shikha Pandey, Pooja Vastrakar, Radha Yadav.

Brook admits pressure got to his side

Brook admits pressure got to his side

Harry Brook, the England captain, was terribly disappointed in the way the batsmen were unable to chase down an easy target. © ICC

“If we get all the basic and simple things right, like bowling straight and making them play, there is no reason why we cannot bowl them out for under 150 and knock those runs off with two or three wickets down.”

Harry Brook, the captain of the England Under-19 side, was brimming with confidence in a chat with Wisden India on the eve of the quarterfinal of the 2018 Under-19 against Australia. To be fair, England were coming into the match on the back of an unbeaten run in the group stages, and his prophecy about the ‘junior Ashes’ clash on Tuesday (January 23) almost come true.

England’s bowlers rattled the Aussies, restricting them to 127, but something went very wrong with the second part of the prediction.
After a good start, the batsmen fell like nine pins against the spin assault from Lloyd Pope, who registered record-breaking figures of 8 for 35 to wrap up England’s pursuit in just 23.4 overs, toppling them over for just 96 to end their semifinal hopes.

“Massively disappointed, as you can tell. To get them (Australia) out for 127 was incredible, but not being able to knock those runs off was really disappointing,” a devastated Brook lamented. “I think there was a lot of pressure, given we lost so many wickets in a heap. I still backed ourselves to knock those runs off even with us six down. But unfortunately, it just did not work out.”

At the halfway mark, the mood in the two camps was absolutely contrasting to how it turned out at the end. The England players were full of energy and some of the Australians had their heads down, probably regretting their effort – or the lack of it – with the bat. By lunch, however, Australia had fought their way back by pegging England back at 72 for 5.

“We didn’t really need to say much to each other at the halfway mark,” Brook revealed. “We had to go at 1.5 runs an over, so all we needed to do was knock it around for a few overs and if we still had wickets in hand, get over the line with ease. We lost some wickets fairly quickly after the break, and that didn’t help us at all.”

England looked like they were cruising to an easy win at one stage, with Tom Banton hitting three consecutive fours off Ryan Hadley in the seventh over, and the scoreboard reading 47 without loss.
“We did not have any plans of attacking as such, but it just happened to be that way today,” Brook clarified. “He (Banton) bats like that in most games. He was doing a great job till he unfortunately got out in a silly kind of way.”

Pope, in fact, was brought on immediately after that assault from Banton on Hadley. He triggered the collapse instantly, sending back Liam Banks and Brook off successive deliveries.

“He bowls pretty quick, and he was always attacking the stumps,” Brook pointed out. “Their fielders fielded really well too and he bowled a lot of good bowls, he was exceptionally good. We played spin exceptionally well right through the tournament, but he got the ball to spin and bowled really well overall. I can say that we played a few bad shots too, but well, the day goes on.”

Brook conceded that it would take his side a couple of days to get over the Australia defeat. © Getty Images

When England were not wilting against Pope’s marvellous bowling, they were finding ways to throw their wickets away in the weirdest of ways. A terrible mix-up between Jack Davies and Tom Scriven, which led to the latter being run out by Jonathan Merlo, was a clear giveaway of the nervousness in the England camp.

“There was a lot of pressure, and that run out was quite panicky,” Brook admitted. “But that’s what happens in big collapses. Getting through to the quarterfinals was a great achievement, but I am not the kind who likes to finish second. I am pretty disappointed.”

England will now battle for the fifth place, starting with the playoff semifinal at the same venue on Saturday. Motivating the players for that, however, is going to be a tough job for Brooks and the support staff.

“It is going to be really hard, especially after a defeat like that,” he confessed. “I am sure the coach will have a lot of things to say to us, but right now, the lads are very, very disappointed.”
Jon Lewis, the England head coach, said a few words to comfort the boys after the shock defeat, but he was clearly frustrated by the manner in which the team went down.

“I already spoke to the guys about their journey towards becoming great sportsmen,” he said. “You win some, you lose some, but you learn from dealing with pressure situations and how you react when put under pressure in front of everyone. The captain has been outstanding, he didn’t get runs today but he’s played superbly.

“All these players are nowhere near being finished players. They are all still developing and for them to experience the joy of playing in a World Cup for the country will be an experience to cherish. The way this group gets on is brilliant, both on and off the field. I know they will stick together. Yes, we have taken a big knock and this will be tough for them. It won’t feel nice now, it won’t feel nice when they reflect on this three or four weeks later, but this should spur them on to even greater heights in the future.”

Philander promises no let-up

Philander promises no let-up

“There are no dead rubber games for us,” insisted Vernon Philander on the eve of the third Test. © BCCI

Vernon Philander, who has made a grand start to South Africa’s ongoing Test series against India, wanted no let-up from his side, with a 3-0 whitewash beckoning. Philander took nine wickets at Newlands and one at SuperSport Park, while scoring important runs from No. 7 in both games.
“It is just another game of cricket we want to win,” said Philander on Monday (January 22) at the Wanderers Stadium, with two days to go for the last Test. “Each and every single game we play, this series might be won, but we want to win this game. The emphasis is on preparation today and tomorrow for the last Test. There are no dead rubber games for us. We will prepare as well as we can and be ready for Wednesday.”

This will be Philander’s 50th Test, and he has developed into a handy seam-bowling allrounder, with 183 wickets at 21.95, and a batting average of 24.41 with seven half-centuries in 66 innings. Philander has been batting at No. 7 in this series, and doing the job very well, but he said it wouldn’t matter if South Africa opted to pick another batsman in the XI and thus push him down to No. 8.
“It wouldn’t change things whether I bat at No. 7 or No. 8. I’d still have to contribute with bat and ball,” he said. “It won’t make a massive difference to me as a player. I see myself as an allrounder. You always have to put pressure on yourself, take a sense of pride in what you do. It’s a bigger responsibility at No. 7, so I like to take on the challenge. It worked perfectly well in England, in conditions different from home. I’m enjoying this challenge and hopefully, I can score a lot more runs.”

Having won the series in Centurion last Wednesday, the South Africans took a four-day break, and Monday was their first training session since then. “It’s always hard work playing back-to-back Tests,” pointed out Philander. “A three-four-day break suited everyone well. We are refreshed and ready to get ourselves back up and going for the last one. We took time out and spent time with families, and now we’ll make sure we are ready for this one.”

South Africa have been going in with a four-man pace attack in each of the first two Tests, and Philander said that as long as everyone in the attack knew their roles, it could work well. “It helps if you understand the role you play. You want to keep it as tight as possible, want to bowl them out as cheaply as possible. That’s the aim of every cricket game. The role of every bowler in a four-pronged attack is different. You deliver what’s required of you.”

The newest member of that attack is Lungisani Ngidi, man of the match on debut in Centurion. “He is a phenomenal talent,” gushed Philander. “He has pace and bounce. The way he went about his business and the manner in which he stayed calm, asked a lot of questions of me and Morne Morkel at mid-on, it was wonderful to see that we have so many bowlers pumping in the pipeline as well. Wonderful talent, long may it continue.”

While Philander hadn’t seen the pitch yet, he said Wanderers always had “pace and bounce”, while explaining his more containing bowling role in Centurion. “The role always differs on different types of surfaces. I play with an understanding of my role in the side. Last game, I had to keep it tight from one end.”

Desperation, and desire spur Ireland on

The Ireland fans, mostly made up of family members of the players, chants “Ireland’s call,” a song often heard at Ireland’s rugby matches. © Wisden India
The past two weeks have been difficult for the Ireland players in the Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand. They had their moments in their opening Group D match with Sri Lanka, but eventually succumbed to a brilliant partnership between Dhananjaya Lakshan and Kamindu Mendis, who took the game away from them in a tricky chase. Two days later against Pakistan, they had no answer to Shaheen Afridi’s assault, wilting and folding for 97 before the batsmen flattened their bowlers to reach the target in less than nine overs.
The two defeats put them out of the run for a place in the knockouts, but they had one last game to go in the league stage, against Afghanistan on Saturday (January 20). The Afghans were coming into the game on the back of a contrasting run, having beaten both Pakistan and Sri Lanka to emerge as the strongest side in the group.
Ireland, put in to bat, did well to reach 225 for 8. It was their highest score of the tournament, and the bowlers finally had some runs on the board to put up a fight.
A few early wickets went down, and a small group of fans, mostly made up of family members of the players themselves, joined the party, egging them on by chanting “Ireland’s call,” a song often heard at Ireland’s rugby matches.
Harry Tector, the captain, led from the front with an all-round performance, and Afghanistan’s batsmen started rolling over like nine pins. It came down to the last over in the end, with Afghanistan seven runs away from a win but with only one wicket in hand.
A no-ball, a wide, and a missed opportunity from Afghanistan off the first legal delivery of the over meant the equation changed to five from five. Max Neville held his nerves to pitch one up, and Qais Ahmed, trying to play a big shot, skied one for Graham Kennedy to run in from point and take a catch. A dramatic four-run win was sealed, and the Irish camp erupted in celebrations.
“The boys really, really wanted to win the game, especially after playing the way we did against Pakistan,” says Tector, still beaming from the performance. “We wanted to put that right. We are a side who take a lot of pride in our cricket. Some of the catches taken towards the end of the innings were very important. The guys were just incredible today.
“Against Sri Lanka, we gave ourselves a chance with the ball but against Pakistan, we just did not do our country or our jersey any justice. We took out all the good things from both those games and it all seemed to work perfectly against Afghanistan. I am over the moon with this win.”
Joshua Little, the left-arm pacer, bowled a crucial penultimate over, giving away just three runs and picking up the wicket of Mujeeb Zadran.
“Harry kept coming up to me and asking me what kind of balls was I going to bowl, but I told him to leave me alone, I wanted to have a clear mind,” Little tells Wisden India. “I told him I will set my own fields, I just backed myself to do the job.
“When we went to the dressing room in the innings break, we spoke about how much we wanted to win. We discussed how much belief we had in ourselves as a team, and how much pride we took in representing Ireland. That spurred us on to give our best for this one, which we couldn’t in the first two games.”

“We are a side who take a lot of pride in our cricket. The guys were just incredible against Afghanistan.” – Harry Tector. © ICC
Hundreds of Afghan fans turned up at Cobham Oval for the game, making a lot of noise through the contest. But the Irish fans, much smaller in number, put up a great fight, creating a fantastic atmosphere at the ground.
“I think the supporters did pretty good, they battled it out against the very loud Afghanistan supporters,” Tector chipped in. “They are all our parents, friends and family, they have flown in all the way from home to back us, so it really feels great to give them a performance they can be proud of.”
“That was pretty nerve-wracking,” the proud father of Mark Donegan, the wicketkeeper batsman, tells Wisden India as the supporters break into another song. “It was a great victory, but that’s what the boys keep doing to us, keeping us all on the edge all the time!”
On the morning after the win, we learn that there wasn’t much scope for post-match celebrations, with a morning flight scheduled for Christchurch, where Ireland will next play Windies in their first Plate Championship game.
“The most recently promoted Test sides have churned out the most exciting and the closest game in the tournament so far, that shows the strength and depth in both the teams,” Tector points out. “We want to do well and get senior honours. If I do play a Test for Ireland ever, I am sure a lot of these U-19 players from this side will be there too.”
The best Ireland can do now is to finish ninth, by clinching the Plate Championship. That would be a great achievement for the side, says Tector, and with momentum in their stride, these boys could well be the ones to watch out for over the next two weeks.

 

Iron-willed Smithies on the crest of an unending wave

 Iron-willed Smithies on the crest of an unending wave


“I came here actually in 1998 to coach and play at the University of Pretoria. Fell in love with the place and moved out here in 2000″ – Karen Smithies. © Wisden India

Among the many people sitting in the stands at the SuperSport Park in Centurion when South Africa were beating India by 135 runs to take a series-winning lead, was one very interested person. Much more than a spectator, but neither South African, nor Indian.

Karen Smithies is the manager of the Titans, the domestic franchise whose home ground is the SuperSport Park. A team so strong that seven of their players featured in the XI for the Test: Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram, AB de Villiers, Faf du Plessis, Quinton de Kock, Morne Morkel and Lungisani Ngidi. On the bench, was Chris Morris, making it eight players in the squad. Dale Steyn plays for the franchise too.

Being the go-to person for a franchise with such a galaxy of stars would have been a sort of career-high for most people. Smithies is not most people though. And she has something in cricket none of the illustrious names around her do: a World Cup winner’s medal.

Smithies is the former England Women’s captain, who played 15 Tests and 69 One-Day Internationals from 1986 till 2000. In 1993, she led England to victory in the tournament at home. In 2017, she was at Lord’s to witness Anya Shrubsole deliver the trophy for her team against Mithali Raj’s India, completing an evolutionary circle for women’s cricket.

But first things first. How is a former England Women’s captain the Titans’ manager in Centurion? When it’s put to her that we generally see the reverse – South Africans going to England – she laughs. “Well it’s 18 years ago now since I left the UK,” Smithies tells Wisden India. “I came here actually in 1998 to coach and play at the University of Pretoria. Fell in love with the place and moved out here in 2000. I landed up at SuperSport Park in 2003 coaching women, but I’ve been with the Titans now since 2006. I go once a year to see the family, but otherwise, I’m a resident here now.

“Cricket’s been part of my life since I was a small child, so it’s great to be part of it. And I work with so many great guys here at the Titans,” she continues. “To work with the likes of AB, Morne – guys who were coming through when I first started. It’s a special part of my journey here at the Titans. Dale Steyn started here, and I’ve had the privilege to work with some of the great players of South African cricket. Mark Boucher, for example, is the coach, and my boss. It’s a privilege to see how he goes about his business.

The memories of some of the great players she has seen and the ones making their way up is something she treasures. “AB was different. He was already earmarked. He went very quickly. Morne Morkel made his debut for the Titans just as I started, in 2006. He was very nervous about bowling a no-ball, and what does he do with his first ball in domestic cricket? He bowls a no-ball!

“For me now, seeing Aiden Markram and Lungi Ngidi, two outstanding gentlemen and two fantastic cricketers, get debuts was pretty special for us as well. It’s a special place SuperSport Park that has produced a lot of Protea cricketers.”

But for Smithies, this is just the second half of her cricketing life. The first was probably even more eventful. She’s played in an era when women still had to wear skirts and seen the change to trousers. She burnt a bat with Belinda Clark at Lord’s to mark the beginning of the Women’s Ashes. She was there when Rachel Heyhoe-Flint used to sell chocolates and raffle tickets to raise funds so that women could play the sport. She’s been to two tours of India, and taken part in one of the most thrilling women’s Tests ever, which England won by two runs.

“It went down to the final ball,” she remembers. “And there was an lbw decision. I took a gamble with the last over, it was quite a slow, turning wicket but I brought on the left-arm pace of Jo Chamberlain. She bowled a good over and off the last ball of the over [actually the third ball], we all went up for the lbw and it was given. So it was a fantastic game of cricket actually.”


Karen Smithies burnt a bat with Belinda Clark at Lord’s to mark the beginning of the Women’s Ashes. © Wisden India

Set 128 for victory, India were all out for 125 in 38.3 overs in what was the second Test of the series. This after Neetu David had taken 8 for 53 in England’s second innings, setting India a very gettable target. “We were in big trouble throughout the Test actually,” says Smithies. One of those where you were down and out and then you managed to scrape and turn it around a little bit. So it just to-ed and fro-ed all the way through.”

Smithies has fond memories of India, both in 1995 and 1997, though she had her share of adventures too. “As a cricketer, to play in India is something every cricketer should do,” she says. “We’d have good crowds, and it’s nice to have a knowledgeable crowd. I loved India, and to play in different conditions. And we did have a lot of different conditions.

“For food, I was given a little trick. An old soldier that I knew was based in India. And he said, ‘To look after yourself, just take a little tot of brandy every night, a little cap. And you will be fine!’ I lost a lot of weight there. I basically survived on potatoes that were in the curry, bananas, poppadum and naan bread. That was just about my diet while I was there. But thankfully I was good.

“In Pune, we played an ODI and it got a little volatile. Claire Taylor got a bang on the head from someone who’d thrown something from the crowd, and we had to stay in the changing rooms for about three hours after the game because the crowd would not disperse. That was a tricky stay for us, but I suppose it all added to the experience.”

It was a different era then. “I played in skirts from 1986 to 1997. And 1997 was the first year that we brought in the trousers,” smiles Smithies. “In India, it’s not very pleasant because you’re diving around on the field and the heat and the dust… hated it (wearing the skirt) actually! But that was the call of the day, so we had to go by it. It wasn’t very comfortable, and it wasn’t very good to look at either. Thankfully 1997 saw the change.”

The next year also saw the launch of the Women’s Ashes. The men’s trophy is said to have the ashes of a burnt bail. The women burnt something more substantial. “We burnt a bat. This was at Lord’s,” says Smithies, pointing to a photo of Belinda Clark and her burning the bat, flanked by Roger Knight, the MCC president then, and the England manager.

Women cricketers today are still not near the earning level of the men, but they are far removed from their predecessors at least. “The great Enid Bakewell, who I played all my cricket with in Nottinghamshire, and Rachel Heyhoe-Flint – they used to sell chocolate to raise funds for our club,” recounts Smithies. “Sell raffle tickets to get money for training facilities. I also did a sponsored walk if I remember, from Lord’s to the Oval and back. Again pioneered by Rachel Heyhoe-Flint just to raise awareness and money. That’s what we had to do, you know. It was part and parcel.

“I know that back in the day, 1986 onwards, a lot of the Indian players worked for Railways I believe, and were given time off to play cricket,” she adds. “But I don’t think they had a lot of support, the conditions, the facilities or the money to do what they wanted to. Although they had some very good quality players. Since then there has been a lot more women’s cricket, and the ICC have really put in a lot of effort into the game. They play more competitive cricket than we did on a regular basis, which also helps the momentum of it.”

One of the great showcases for how the women’s game has changed was the Women’s World Cup in 2017, whose final Smithies attended.

“The game has evolved beyond recognition. I wish I was playing now in this era, with the opportunities that they get,” she smiles. “We were amateurs, we didn’t get paid. Most of the early tours we went to, we paid for ourselves pretty much. But now look, the top international women cricketers now are full-time. It gives them time to train, just concentrate on the cricket, which is a huge difference. And of course T20 cricket has also made a difference to their hitting areas, their power. I would love to have played a T20 game.”




“To have 26,000 people at Lord’s for the women’s final, I never thought I’d see that. And just the atmosphere around the ground and the game was a credit to women’s cricket.” – Karen Smithies. © Getty Images

For Smithies, the advent of T20 and particularly the Women’s Big Bash League in Australia, have played key roles in pushing the game’s popularity steadily upwards, until it all came together at the 2017 World Cup, whose final has been hailed as perhaps the grandest showcase for women’s cricket.

“Absolutely,” agrees Smithies. “To have 26,000 people at Lord’s for the women’s final, I never thought I’d see that. And just the atmosphere around the ground and the game was a credit to women’s cricket. It was televised, most of it. So a lot of people could see it. A lot of the games were close as well.

“The other thing is the women’s Big Bash League in Australia. Those kinds of tournaments are doing the women’s game so much good. I know that Dane van Niekerk, Marizanne Kapp and Mignon du Preez are over there now. It’s like the IPL, you’re playing with and against the best players in the world. It can only do your game good.”

Smithies only went to the final though, thus missing out on both semifinals, which were classics in their own right. The first one would have been more poignant for Smithies, with England squeaking home by two wickets, with two balls to spare – against South Africa. Who would she have been supporting? The question is followed by the ready, and infectious, laughter Smithies has. “Umm… Obviously, England because that’s where my home is. And home is where the heart is. But I was also keen to see some of the South African girls that I know, they also put in a very, very good performance. And again England in the final, were up against it for quite some time and India really should have taken it. But you know these big-pressure days bring and with Shrubsole doing her in-duckers and a couple of wickets falling, momentum went back to England.”

The title triumph brought back the memories of her own moment of glory in 1993, when she lifted the World Cup as the England captain.

“In 1993, women’s cricket was run by the Women’s Cricket Association. And they really had to rely on donations to stage the event,” she says. “We won, against all odds, I believe. It was live on TV that afternoon, and John Major was there, he was Prime Minister at the time. So there was a lot of high profile to it and it really gave women’s cricket a leverage. And five years later, the Women’s Cricket Association merged with the ECB. And now the World Cup was run by the ICC.

“Look in 1993, we stayed in Wellington College. In dormitories. And in 2017 they probably stayed at The Hilton in London. We had to do our own washing, things like that. The game has evolved immeasurably over the years, and quite rightly too because there’s some good players out there.”

The win though did produce a moment that remains etched in minds for many, though its one Smithies would rather forget about. Flushed with victory, she told Derek Pringle, the allrounder, that since the men’s team didn’t seem to be winning anything, perhaps the women could teach them a thing or two?

“I think I got a bit cocky at that stage because we were doing very well, and the men under Michael Atherton were down and out,” she says, eyes twinkling. “It was a rushed comment, and one which I wished I never made. It was probably something like “You can learn how to play from us”. Most likely. Bit cocky, eh? But it was just one of those heat-of-the-moment things. I was 24 years old, I was on the crest of a wave after winning the World Cup and… I lost it, to be honest!”

There’s no losing it now for Smithies, whether in her office sorting through mail for the Titans’ cricketers, in the open-air press box of the SuperSport Park ready to lend a helping hand to journalists, bustling about with the thousand and one administrative tasks she has to attend to, or just sitting back quietly and enjoying the game to which she has given two careers and is still not done.

India U-19: Hardly tested but ready for the test

 India U-19: Hardly tested but ready for the test


The match against Zimbabwe provided India with an opportunity to reshuffle their batting order and give batsmen down the order more time in the middle. © ICC

Results – check. Batsmen in form – check. Pacers on song – check. Spinners doing their thing – check.

The Indian Under-19 team is living up to its reputation and seem a well-oiled machine going into the quarterfinal. They have won each game convincingly – beating Australia by 100 runs before walloping Papua New Guinea and Zimbabwe by 10 wickets each – but have done so with the bigger picture in mind – the knockout stages.

While the dominant performance against Australia yet again reinforced the skills the Indian boys possess, the games against Papua New Guinea and Zimbabwe gave them an opportunity to plan for tougher challenges. They did just that – experimenting with their combinations even while respecting the opposition.

India could have easily opted to bat first after winning the toss against Papua New Guinea. Free runs – and potentially a few records – were there to be taken, like how Australia did on Friday (January 19) in their game against PNG.

But that wasn’t the preparation India were after. India first wanted to ensure qualification, and for that, they needed a win. As Abhishek Sharma, the left-arm spinner, said a day ahead of the Zimbabwe game, India had already paid the price for looking too far ahead when they lost to Nepal in the Asia Cup last year.

Lessons learnt, India came out all guns blazing and smashed out PNG in a little over three hours. It was almost a sorry sight to watch PNG’s batsmen struggle against India’s pace duo of Kamlesh Nagarkoti and Shivam Mavi, but there was no mercy.

Prithvi Shaw then extended the theme with a quick half-century.

“We always talk that should learn to win the games, every game is important to us even if you’re playing against a weaker team,” Shaw, their captain explained India’s thought process on Friday. “We still have to play to our standards, to our professionalism, so this is what we talk about.

“If you can see in every game, we’ve got that intensity and attitude on the field. Whichever team we’re playing against, we play with the same intensity. We carry the same attitude, and because of those things, we are winning all the games.”

The PNG match was all about being ruthless and sealing the deal. Friday’s clash against Zimbabwe was more of experimenting with combinations.


The extent of India’s brilliance is seen in their bowling depth with Anukul Roy, the left-arm spinner putting in the hard yards against, albeit, lesser teams like PNG and Zimbabwe. © ICC

India made two changes, drafting in Harvik Desai and Riyan Parag in place of Aryan Juyal and Himanshu Rana. With India also forced to make a change in the second game – Arshdeep Singh replacing the injured Ishan Porel – they go into the quarterfinal with 14 of their 15 players having played the group stages. Only Pankaj Yadav, the legspinner, is yet to get a chance.

Experiments on Friday weren’t restricted to the team selection. The batting order was rejigged too. Shaw and Manjot Kalra, the regular openers, had already got enough time in the middle in the first two games. India promoted Shubman Gill and Desai, and pleasingly for them, both the experiments paid off. Gill smashed an unbeaten 90 while Desai, although not as convincing as his partner, enjoyed his stay at the crease and came away with an unbeaten 56.

The bowling unit looks in shape too. If Nagarkoti and Mavi were the talk of the town after outpacing Australia, Anukul Roy has silently made a name for himself with his left-arm spin. Although they’ve come against the lesser teams, Roy’s performances against PNG and Zimbabwe show the depth in bowling.

Arshdeep too has stepped in nicely as the third pacer, adding to India’s options. The attack will only be strengthened if Porel recovers from his bruised heel. India’s performances in the group stage has ensured he has plenty of time, for the quarterfinal is only on January 26.

Is it almost a problem of plenty now? “We now have options,” said Shaw, looking at the situation on a positive note.

If anything, the two 10-wicket victories, and the openers’ long partnership against Australia means India’s middle order hasn’t had much time.

And in general, the Indian boys haven’t been tested or stretched in any of their games. With tougher challenges and the pressure of knockouts awaiting them, how they react if they are tested at some stage will be interesting to watch.

SuperSport’s tryst with Indian epics

SuperSport’s tryst with Indian epics



While Kohli himself didn’t rate much of the century in the first innings, years later he might pat himself on the back for a gritty knock. © BCCI

Epic (adjective) – heroic or grand in scale or character

Epic was originally but not exclusively associated with a long poem in the main, but also embellished books and films that focussed on extraordinary deeds in no little adversity. Over time, it has taken on entirely different connotations; ‘epic joke’ and ‘epic fail’ have established themselves as commonplace in modern-day vocabulary, never mind how far removed from the intended definition they might have strayed.

In this age of hyperbole, epic is a word used so often that true epics can sometimes slip through the cracks. Or can they, really?

More than a half-dozen years later, Tendulkar lit up SuperSport Park again, this time in a Test match. India were so far behind the eight-ball after the first innings that all they were playing for was the proverbial pride. Staring an innings defeat in the face, India nearly avoided that ignominy, thanks in the main to a spectacular hundred by the maestro. It was his 50th Test ton, made epic by the occasion rather than the context, the magnitude of the accomplishment applying temporary soothing balm on the gaping cuts emanating from a crushing defeat.

Would it be wrong, for starters, to prefix Virat Kohli’s 153 at SuperSport Park earlier this week with epic? On his own, the Indian captain made nearly 50% of the runs his team managed in the first innings of the second Test. As impressive as that is, it was as if he was batting on a different surface, against a totally different attack, compared to his mates. As the rest floundered and stuttered, Kohli stood regally tall, at once an irresistible force and an immovable object. Beyond a point, South Africa stopped trying to get Kohli out. In the conditions that existed in Centurion, that is as massive a compliment as anyone could have received. So then, that’s settled – Kohli’s 153 will go down as an epic.

Is a glorious battle wonderfully fought but without the sweet aftertaste of victory more suited to the epic bracket than a successful one? Does the romanticism lie in the effort and not necessarily in the result? Kohli most certainly doesn’t believe so. “I would have been happy with a fifty had we won the match,” he was to say. “Because we lost the match, this knock doesn’t really mean much.”

Surely you don’t mean that, Virat? The wound is too raw, the hurt too recent, the heartbreak too wrenching, but when at some distant stage in the future he puts his feet up and reflects on a career most singular, he will appreciate this 153 for what it was. An epic, if there ever was one.


Tendulkar’s knock of 98 might not have gotten India fully over the line, but it mattered just as much as those impactful hundreds. © AFP

It was on this same platform, but in an entirely different setting, that inarguably the most glittering jewel in the Indian cricket crown produced a knock for the ages. SuperSport Park was buzzing with an electricity unmatched before or since when India and Pakistan squared off their in 2003 World Cup Super League clash. The subcontinental Derby was easily the match of the tournament, an investment of emotion and effort from not just the playing cast but also from the respective support groups – within the changing room and beyond. It was, with George Orwell and Mike Marqusee’s permission, war minus the shooting. The vuvuzelas were out in full force, the cacophony deafening. The vibrant colours, the air crackling with tension and excitement, the promise of a battle royale and, for once, the action justifying the hype.

Sachin Tendulkar was in the mood. Boy, was he! India were chasing 274 in the final before the final, maybe the final beyond the final even. Up against them, the might of Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, the fury of Shoaib Akhtar, the guile of Abdul Razzaq, the street-smart of Shahid Afridi. The little man chopped these giants to size, making his statements early and with finality. Akhtar took the new ball behind Akram, and banged the fourth ball in short and a tough wide. Tendulkar slapped him deep over point for a humongous six, triggering a hasty confabulation between skipper Younis, Akhtar and Akram. “For the first time, Shoaib told the captain, ‘I don’t want to bowl, I am not able to bowl’. That one shot destroyed his confidence for the rest of the game,” Akram was to reveal, more than a decade later.

Tendulkar’s marauding knock didn’t haul India over the line – that was left to the ice of Rahul Dravid and the youthful fire of Yuvraj Singh. But with such ferocity and vehemence had he dismantled the pace threat, and such was the psychological havoc he wreaked on Akhtar, that whatever else followed was merely an offshoot of his uninhibited onslaught. Akhtar might claim the last laugh, denying the cramping maestro a most memorable hundred by having him caught at point off a lifter. But the 98 added to the drama and the mystique, much like Gundappa Viswanath’s unbeaten 97 against West Indies in Chepauk. Given the context, there is a greater emotional connect with these epic 90s than equally felicitous and impactful hundreds.


The only Indian Test century at SuperSport Park that resulted in victory came from WV Raman on the 1992-93 tour, against an attack comprising Allan Donald, Fanie de Villiers, Craig Matthews and Brian McMillan. © Getty Images

More than a half-dozen years later, Tendulkar lit up SuperSport Park again, this time in a Test match. India were so far behind the eight-ball after the first innings that all they were playing for was the proverbial pride. Staring an innings defeat in the face, India nearly avoided that ignominy, thanks in the main to a spectacular hundred by the maestro. It was his 50th Test ton, made epic by the occasion rather than the context, the magnitude of the accomplishment applying temporary soothing balm on the gaping cuts emanating from a crushing defeat.

Tendulkar’s and Kohli’s aren’t the only Indian centuries in Centurion across formats in international cricket to have come in defeat. Yusuf Pathan produced a typically belligerent 105, off a mere 70 deliveries with eight fours and as many sixes, as he nearly pulled the rug from under South Africa’s feet. With the series ODI level 2-2 and India on 119 for 8 chasing 251 for their first series triumph on South African soil, Pathan mocked the length of the boundaries with a scarcely believable counter against Steyn, Tsotsobe, Morkel and Botha. It was epic-like in conception and execution, but not quite an epic, and not necessarily because it eventually came in a losing cause.

The only Indian hundred of four at SuperSport Park that resulted in victory came on the famous Friendship tour of 1992-93, the first series in South Africa since their return to the international fold. On a tricky track against Allan Donald, Fanie de Villiers, Craig Matthews and Brian McMillan, Woorkeri Raman sacrificed natural attacking instincts to conjure a measured 114, his lone hundred for the country. Of silken-smooth strokeplay and timing to die for, the left-hand batsman last week marked the 30th anniversary of his Test debut, in the famous Hirwani Test at Chepauk. Raman himself had a pretty good debut – 83 in the second innings in his hometown, and a wicket in his first over in Test cricket, but it was Hirwani who stole the show with a record-tying 16 wickets on debut.

Today, Hirwani is the bowling coach at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore, while his bade bhai Raman is the batting coach. Now, will that qualify as an epic coincidence?

Sarfraz is a fighter, I want to be the same: Hassan Khan

Sarfraz is a fighter, I want to be the same: Hassan Khan

Hassan Khan bursts out laughing when we show him the picture (above). “Yes, that’s me. I must have been in class seven or eight then.”

It’s a screenshot we carried to the interview just to figure out how long Hassan, now 19, has actually been playing cricket for. The original footage is from an inter-school tournament in Karachi, where a local TV reporter is seen having a chat with Hassan after the final.
“Since a very young age, I used to go to various grounds in Karachi with my father,” Hassan tells Wisden India on the sidelines of the ongoing Under-19 World Cup. “That’s where I started developing a liking for cricket. Slowly, I got into Under-12, Under-16, and Under-19 sides while playing for the National Bank Cricket Academy. Once I got into professional cricket, I entered zonal cricket – it’s the system you have to go through if you are playing cricket in Karachi. I did well for Karachi, and then some more good outings at the National Cricket Academy camps led to my name appearing in the list for the Pakistan Under-19 squad. Mashallah, the journey has been quite fulfilling so far.”

But cricket at such a young age comes with the price of compromising on academics, and more often than not, it’s not an easy choice to make.
“It was alright initially, till I switched to professional cricket,” says Hassan, the captain of the team in New Zealand. “It was fine balancing school, studies, academies and coaching. But slowly, once I got deeper into the professional grind, and started going for tours, it became difficult to carry both things forward, since I hardly spent any time at home.
“But I was lucky in a way. My dad is a major sports enthusiast and in this matter, I got a lot of support from home, from him and my brothers too. My mother wanted me to study, but once she saw her son making progress in cricket, she backed me to take this up. Well, to be honest, she supported me right from the start, but she wanted me to try and keep both cricket and studies going.”
Speaking of family, Hassan has distant cousins living in Kanpur in India. He has fond memories of a trip he made to the country many years ago, though he doesn’t clearly remember much apart from the cricket he played with his cousins.

“We, as youngsters, take great pride from what we saw our senior team achieve in that tournament. It taught us to never accept defeat before having actually lost, and taught us to keep giving our best in every situation.” © Getty Images

“I was very young, I think about eight or nine years old when I went there,” he recollects. “I only remember just one thing vividly, we played a lot of cricket in my cousin’s garage, which was a lot of fun.”
Not to jinx anything, but here’s a hypothetical situation from the future: Hassan is playing for the Pakistan senior team, and it’s a World Cup match against Virat Kohli’s India. How much of a headache would that be for his relatives across the border, on choosing who to support?
“I think they will definitely want India to win, but I hope they would want me to get some runs or pick up some wickets too!”
Laughter fills the room before we decide to put an end to our guessing games. Back to reality, and we are talking real India v Pakistan, that’s Sarfraz Ahmed v Kohli, which brings us to the topic of the Champions Trophy final last year.
“I was watching it at home just like any other fan,” says Hassan. “We were over the moon with the result, and more so because it was so unexpected. No one was expecting Pakistan to win. Forget about winning, we were not even expecting them to get to the final. But it was remarkable, the way the team fought under Sarfraz bhai’s leadership. After losing to India like that in the first match, it was an exceptional comeback. We, as youngsters, take great pride from what we saw our senior team achieve in that tournament. It taught us to never accept defeat before having actually lost, and taught us to keep giving our best in every situation.”
Hassan has played under the leadership of Sarfraz in the Pakistan Super League, representing Quetta Gladiators. If you search for his videos on YouTube, you are likely to come across one where he traps Misbah-ul-Haq lbw in a match against Islamabad United at Sharjah Cricket Stadium, triggering wild celebrations in the Quetta camp. Leading the pack is Sir Viv Richards, high-fiving and low-fiving everyone across the dugout.
“It was a big honour for me to have played in the PSL,” says Hassan. “Sir Viv, Kevin Pietersen, Moin (Khan) bhaai, Abdur Razzaq – I was lucky to share the same space with such legends. It was an extraordinary feeling. I realised that whenever someone of such big stature comes and pats your back, your confidence automatically shoots sky high. It was a great learning experience for me.”
But doesn’t such early exposure to Twenty20 franchise cricket leagues take away a youngster’s attention from more serious cricket?
“Test cricket and T20 cricket, they both have a place in my heart,” he counters. “Nowadays, T20 cricket has made cricket a very fast game. Exposure, I feel, is the most important thing. When you know your actions are being telecast live, and so many people are watching you play, it becomes a huge platform for youngsters like me to try and showcase our talent. It also gives more people to come in the limelight and put their hands up to eventually make it to the national T20I, ODI, or Test sides.”

“There have been many ups and downs, but Sarfraz bhai has stayed put and has kept on fighting. I wish to do the same no matter what comes my way, and Inshallah, I’ll be successful one day.” © PSL T20

A bowling allrounder is how Hassan likes to describe himself, and not surprisingly, his idol is a man who plied in the same trade. “Shahid Afridi was a big name when I was growing up, and he was a star allrounder – a good batsman, a good bowler and a good fielder. So I always wanted to be like him,” says Hassan. “He was a big attraction for the crowd as well, and he certainly influenced me in taking up cricket in a way. I even wanted to grow my hair long, like he did, but well, that idea didn’t go down too well with my parents or the school teachers!
“In the current setup though, Sarfraz bhai is my idol. Like I say in every interview, I have been watching him through his career. There have been many ups and downs, but he has stayed put and has kept on fighting. I wish to do the same no matter what comes my way, and Inshallah, I’ll be successful one day.”
Hassan is pretty much on the right track, even though there’s a long way to go for the youngster. “I don’t think there can be any feeling better than playing cricket for Pakistan,” he says. “It is a feeling that you can not really explain in words. When I’m leading my country, even at the junior level, it is a matter of pride for me and my family. Among so many players, 15 got selected to play, and one was handed the responsibility to lead – there couldn’t have been a more honourable thing for me.”

Ngidi peppers top order as India slip to 35/3 in chase of 287

Ngidi peppers top order as India slip to 35/3 in chase of 287

Ngidi got Kohli with a similar delivery to the one that snared Vijay, except this ended in an lbw. © BCCI

India scrapped, but South Africa scrapped harder. And at the end of yet another absorbing day of cricket, the home team could smell a Test, and series, victory with India ending Tuesday (January 16) on 35 for 3, having been set a target of 287.
At the crease were Cheteshwar Pujara, batting on 11, with Parthiv Patel on 5. Parthiv had been promoted ahead of Rohit Sharma in the batting order, perhaps to have a right-left combination at the crease. But with Virat Kohli, the first-innings centurion, gone, the climb for India looked Everest-like.
South Africa would have aimed at getting a lot more than the 258 all out they eventually ended up with, having been 90 for 2 overnight, with AB de Villiers in sublime form. But India’s bowlers kept plugging away, and though the fielding still wasn’t top notch, apart from de Villiers, no batsman could consistently dominate the bowling.
India’s batsmen though, faced a bigger test. Against the quicker pace of South Africa’s bowlers, dealing with the vagaries of a pitch where a few balls were keeping low, and with the pressure of a fourth-innings chase, they began on the back foot.
And then, M Vijay was done in by a Kagiso Rabada delivery that kept low, reminiscent of how Jasprit Bumrah had got his first two wickets on Monday, while KL Rahul let slip a golden opportunity to make an ironclad case for his presence in the starting XI, gifting Lungi Ngidi his wicket with an ill-conceived steer straight to Keshav Maharaj at point. With the fielder there and three in the slips, there was less than zero percentage to the shot.
The body blow came with Ngidi getting Kohli with a similar delivery to the one that snared Vijay, except this ended in an lbw. The Indian captain reviewed, more out of hope than anything else, but had to go on his way.
When South Africa began, de Villiers carried on from where he had left off the previous night, picking off the bowlers, flicking and driving with ease. At the other end, Dean Elgar showed the value of putting a price on one’s wicket — as would Faf du Plessis later — and progressed to a remarkable half-century of his own. Remarkable because apart from the missed chance on Monday evening when he was on 29, Elgar never really looked entirely comfortable at the crease for any length of time. And yet, he stayed, he gutsed it out, he forgot about the previous ball if the next one was a loose one that needed to be put away.

De Villiers’s wicket came against the run of play, with Mohammed Shami suddenly finding the spot and the venom to get a ball to lift sharply off a length. © BCCI

It was the perfect combination for South Africa, and with de Villiers in, the run-rate was never a problem, too.
De Villiers’s wicket came against the run of play, with Mohammed Shami, who started poorly, suddenly finding the spot and the venom to get a ball to lift sharply off a length. De Villiers was shaping to cut, but the ball surprised him, took his glove and went to the wicketkeeper to end an innings of 80 off only 121 balls. It broke a partnership of 141, the highest of the series so far, and once de Villiers was gone, it was as if batting was suddenly not as easy as it had seemed.
Elgar fell shortly after, done in by Shami’s short-ball trap and disappointed with himself after an innings of grit and character that brought 61.
Quinton de Kock’s stay in the middle was possibly the most surreal passage of play. In Shami’s next over, he had three consecutive edges go through the wicketkeeper and the slips, all finding the fence. Shami pulled his length back for the fourth ball, de Kock hung his bat out again and this time Parthiv Patel got an easy catch.
Du Plessis had looked solid all the while, except for a tough chance at leg-slip off R Ashwin that Rahul could only get a hand to, and in Vernon Philander, he found an ally willing to put his head down. India bowled dry during the 46-run stand for the sixth wicket, but they couldn’t separate the pair for 26 overs. Time was not a factor for South Africa; building the lead and tiring the bowlers so that they could cash in later was of more value.
Just when the two began opening up though, Philander fell to a tame pull off Ishant. He had made a valuable 26.
Maharaj couldn’t contribute, snared early by an Ishant lifter outside off, but Rabada hung around for a valuable half hour as du Plessis added the runs. The South African captain eventually fell for 48.
Shami, with 4 for 49, had the best figures, but he wasn’t India’s best bowler for large parts of the innings. Bumrah had 3 for 70, with Ishant taking two wickets and Ashwin finishing the innings to end a frustrating tenth-wicket stand of 13 between the pair of Ngidi and Morne Morkel.
As it turned out, it would be nothing compared to the frustrations that India would have felt after their batting stint.