Cricket’s Best Show How It’s Done

No doubt many people worldwide have been caught up in the Ashes series panning out in Australia over the past months. However, there has been another series playing out in South Africa that has come to light over the past day or so.

The two best test teams in the world are facing off in a brutally intense and close series. India arrived in South Africa as the best team in the world knowing full well this would be the toughest test to their credentials.

And after the first of three test matches, many were seriously questioning them. They were thrashed well and truly by a disciplined South African team, an innings defeat the worst possible start. Kallis, Amla and De Villiers putting on a show.

Now their character would truly be tested, could they somehow manage a comeback against an opposition full of confidence and talent?

The answer was yes.

The teams headed to Durban for the second test and after MS Dhoni again lost the toss; his side were bowled out for 205. It seemed like whilst they had tried hard, India would again come up short. Dale Steyn was the main tormentor picking up six wickets.

However, 205 looked brilliant some 37 overs later.

That was because Harbhajan and Zaheer Khan produced some of the best test bowling you’ll see to skittle the South Africans for just 131.

The bowlers did their job, could the batsmen follow?

At one stage the Indians were staring at a scoreboard of 7-148, a lead of just over 200. That was never going to be enough.

Arrise VVS.

Laxman proved once again his ability to bat with the tail and after a magnificent 96, the Indians were bowled out for 228, leading by 302 runs. The bowlers again stepped up and the rest is history.

So the two best teams locked at one-all with one to play. Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better.

India finally won a toss and sent South Africa in to bat. In overcast conditions, South Africa finished the day on 232/4, slightly ahead.

On day two it was all about Kallis. The all rounder played an unbelievable knock, scoring 161 and adding a crucial 79 runs for the final two wickets. It was also a day where Sreesanth came of age, taking five wickets in a brilliant display of seam and swing bowling.

India now had another mountain to climb.

They got off to a terrible start losing out of form Sehwag and Dravid early. However, in a suberb partnership Sachin Tendulkar and Gautam Gambhir added 176 runs in a match changing partnership. It should be noted that in this time, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and even Lonwabo Tsotsobe were producing some of the best fast bowling you could ever imagine.

And with Gambhir’s dismissal, a mini collapse ensued, the tourists losing the opener, Laxman, Pujara and Dhoni for just 43 runs. In between all that Sachin got his 51^st test century, just saying!

All of a sudden it looked like India would be trailing by quite a bit going into the second innings.

But ANOTHER twist was just around the corner.

Harbhajan and Tendulkar added just under 80 runs to ensure India stayed on track. In this time, Harbhajan missed a Steyn swinger which hit the off stump without removing the bails and one of the greatest battles in the history of test cricket took place; Steyn v Sachin.

Arguably the best bowler and batsman on the planet today, both proved those titles with talent, passion and magnificent cricket. Steyn produced a spell of fast bowling that will be hard to beat for the rest of 2011, swinging the ball with control and pace to beat Sachin consistently. But the little master countered with the kind of stroke play that has made him the player he is.

With some late thrashing by Zaheer, India finished with a two-run lead. And after Harbhajan picked up Graeme Smith and Harris late on day three, the test, like the series, is on a knife edge. It is cricket like this which people pay money to come and see, proving test cricket is far from dead.