da betcris： Rahul Dravid volunteering to open the batting meant that VirenderSehwag could be accommodated in the side
da bet nacional： Erapalli Prasanna07-Nov-2001The pitch at Goodyear Park in Bloemfontein was the focus of attentionbefore the first Test match between India and South Africa. The SouthAfrican coach Graham Ford was not too pleased after taking a look atit; he assumed that the pitch would favour the visitors. It was moreor less devoid of any grass and had some cracks, which could haveraised a few eyebrows in the Proteas camp.
Rahul Dravid volunteering to open the batting meant that VirenderSehwag could be accommodated in the side. Dravid failed as an opener,not once but twice in the first Test. He is a very important player inthe Indian team and I think that Dravid should play at numberthree.
Shaun Pollock made no mistake after winning the toss; he put India tobat first, invariably trying to get maximum out of the little moisturetrapped in the pitch. South African pace attack proved to be more thanuseful, even without Allan Donald. They had India reeling at 68/4 onthe first day; it wasn’t a pretty sight, the Indian top-ordersurrendering without a fight.I think the Indian team management got it wrong by not playing ConnorWilliams. The selectors picked him as a specialist opener and there isno reason to hold him back. At some point or the other he has to beplayed and remember, Williams has scored a lot of runs in the domesticcircuit.Rahul Dravid volunteering to open the batting meant that VirenderSehwag could be accommodated in the side. Dravid failed as an opener,not once but twice in the first Test. He is a very important player inthe Indian team and I think that Dravid should play at number three.Having got selected ahead of Williams, Sehwag had to play at his verybest to justify his inclusion. Along with the little maestro SachinTendulkar, Sehwag grew in confidence and played one of the best debutTest innings played by an Indian. It was quite remarkable to see thefighting quality in this young lad. He complimented Sachin Tendulkarvery well and forged a partnership, which is something I will cherishfor a long time to come.Sehwag’s knock was a treat to watch, his composure was impeccable andhis poise was of the highest order. I am particularly impressed by hisback-foot play and the shots that he played through the off-side. Histiming and the way he left the short-pitched deliveries go, wereclearly the signs of a class player. Even though this was not the bestSouth African attack by a long way, Sehwag’s technique and competencegave me the impression that Tendulkar was batting on both ends.Tendulkar’s innings had character and it seems the maestro can onlyget better. He unleashed an amazing repertoire of strokes to pushPollock and Co. to despair. The manner in which he played those shortpitched deliveries to third-man was sheer joy to watch. Only a playerof true genius could play such strokes; no wonder then that Tendulkarreminded Sir Don Bradman of his early days.After having done reasonably well with the bat, thanks to Tendulkarand Sehwag, Indian bowlers threw away the opportunity by allowing theSouth African openers to score runs freely. The Indian attack wasbereft of any planning and they bowled on both sides of the wicket,much to the liking of Gibbs and Kirsten. With that any hopes of afirst innings lead or even putting pressure on the home side was lost.Anil Kumble’s bowling has been a bit of a mystery. He has not beenconsistent with the length. It is beyond my comprehension how Kumblecould keep bowling short, given the fact that he is a tall man. Itjust epitomised the purposeless Indian bowling.India allowed South Africa to put up an imposing first innings leadafter watching Klusener bulldoze a quick-fire century. In my viewIndia lost the Test on the first day itself. India scored rapidly tomake 372 runs on the first day, entertaining for the spectator but adisaster for the team. South Africa was given enough time to plan andexecute their strategy. There was no pressure on them and they won theTest at a canter.India’s batting in the second essay was pathetic. None of the batsmen,except Ganguly was dismissed by a good ball. There is a lot of work tobe done before the second Test match to deny the South Africans awhitewash. The manner in which Laxman and Das got out wasdisappointing, someone need to tell them that they can’t take theirplace in the team for granted.Harbhajan Singh was sorely missed in Bloemfontein; he is a matchwinner and will be available for the second Test. The big question isas always the much famed Indian batting, which is getting a bitcrowded in the middle.
