India will miss Laxman and Ganguly
Allan Donald
November 24, 2006
The way South Africa went off the blocks was tremendous. If that's the standard they are going to set, it's going to be the trend in the Tests as well.
India's batting collapse makes me believe they are a batter or two short on this trip. I can't believe that VVS Laxman has been left out, for he is a magnificent player. Sourav Ganguly is another batsman who must be sitting at home wondering what he has done wrong. We haven't seen much of Sourav in the last one year but he is a class player, and has been one for some time.
As the series goes on, I suspect the Indians are going to more and more miss the Laxmans and Gangulys they have left back home. For youngsters like Suresh Raina, it is baptism by fire. As an 18-year-old, you might have a world of talent but you've got to have enough first class experience to play well on alien conditions. It's not right to draw comparisons with Sachin Tendulkar, for then you are stepping into the genius territory. He was an exceptional talent and the likes of him do not come too often.
The Indians were caught on the hop, batting under the lights. Teams in the past have struggled batting second in Kingsmead, for it is not easy to chase scores at this venue. Even though the pitch has lost some of its past zip, there's still a bit of bounce and carry. Perhaps a bit of grass was left on the surface to help the ball carry. However, I hope the hosts do not get carried away with this win and produce green monsters, for that's not going to do anyone good.
The South Africans made good use of the conditions and Shaun Pollock was brilliant. Makhaya Ntini was a foot-and-a-half too short and, to be fair, there was a time when the Indian batsmen looked quite comfortable and unthreatened by the pace and bounce. However, once Charl Langeveldt and Andre Nel were pressed into attack, the length changed quickly and the game swung away from India after they lost Tendulkar and Dravid in three balls. These two blows knocked the stuffing out of India.
I must say Irfan Pathan's omission took me by surprise for he could have added an extra dimension to the batting. But you could see where the Indians were coming from -- they wanted to cut down on the bowling and bolster their batting. But given the kind of talent the team has, they should have done a little better.
Still, I would urge the Indian fans to be patient. They must not think that this defeat is unacceptable, because everyone gets a hiding now and then. Every side goes through a rough time. We were also in the midst of it (after Jonty Rhodes, Hansie Cronje, Donald and Gary Kirsten retired) and we had to learn again how to win.
You have to lose a few games in order to win a few. This certainly does not spell doom for Indian cricket. I think India has produced the most talented players in the world over the last 15-16 years. This team is too talented to just lie down, and I believe they won't get trampled over.
It's also not all meat and drink for South Africa and the time has come for the selectors to take a call on Herschelle Gibbs. The hosts are not getting too many good starts. It's nice to see the selectors back a great player but there comes a time when you have to make a tough decision. A South African team without Herschelle Gibbs is unthinkable. But the selectors are now going to draw a line, and convey to him that he has been given a good go and it has not come off. Maybe it's time to look somewhere else.
I don't think Gibbs is batting too low down the order. He is all right where he is now. When he played against Australia earlier this year, he was in form. Now he is not, and has not been for the last two-three months. He must be feeling the pressure right now.
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