Proteas chase tremendous triple
Brad Morgan
9 April 2008
South Africa will be aiming for a fantastic triple when they take to the field against India in the third cricket test in Kanpur on Friday. A draw would be enough for the Proteas to secure their third series victory over Asian opposition in Asia since October 2007.
A victory for South Africa would help Graeme Smith to the top of the list as the South African captain with the most victories to his name.
In addition, while Australia have for a long time been held up as the standard against which other teams compare themselves, none of Allan Border, Steve Waugh, Mark Taylor, or Ricky Ponting led the Aussies to victory in India.
Emulating Hansie Cronje
Smith is on the verge of emulating South Africa's success under Hansie Cronje in 2000. Only one other team in the past 20 years, the Adam Gilchrist-led Australians of 2004, has managed a series victory in India.
Successive away series victories over Pakistan, Bangladesh, and India would give South Africa a huge boost ahead of challenging tours of England and Australia in a schedule that is as tough as they come.
The Proteas' most recent victory by an astonishing innings and 90 runs over India in the second test in Ahmedabad has left SA in a strong position to move two places up in the test rankings, from fourth to second, a position they would annex from their current opposition.
Dale Steyn's impact
A series victory would also mark the fifth series win on the trot in the current season, which began with a decisive dismantling of New Zealand on home soil. South Africa's success coincides with Dale Steyn's rapid ascension up the world bowling rankings to number one, which he now shares with Sri Lankan legend Muttiah Muralitharan.
Against New Zealand, Steyn proved to be a lot more than the Black Caps' batsmen could handle. He captured 10 wickets in both tests – the next best return was six wickets – at a ridiculously low average of 9.20 runs per wicket. His strike rate was a wicket every 16.8 balls!
In Pakistan, he claimed "only" nine wickets at 24.66 in two matches, but that included a decisive 5 for 56 in South Africa's 160-run win in the first test, which decided the outcome of the series. Consider too that pitches on the sub-continent usually favour spin bowlers far more than pacemen.
Back on home soil, he captured another 20 wickets in three matches against the West Indies. Once again they came cheaply at 19.10 runs per wicket.Miserly
Steyn led all bowlers in a two-test series against Bangladesh, claiming 14 victims at a miserly 12.57 per wicket.
Most recently, in India, in two tests so far, he has again led all bowlers with 12 wickets at 18.08, including 5 for 23 in India's miserable first innings of the second test in which they made 76 all out in just 20 overs.
Add it all up and Steyn has taken 73 wickets in his last 11 tests. He now stands only three points shy of the 900-mark in the world test bowling rankings, a milestone that has been achieved by only 19 bowlers previously in the history of test cricket.
Only 22 matches into his test career, he has reached the number one test bolwing ranking. A comparison with SA greats Shaun Pollock and Allan Donald puts that achievement into perspective; Pollock reached number one after 33 tests, while Donald took 41 matches to get there.
Not a one-man show
Steyn, as brilliant as he has been, has been far from a one-man show for the Proteas. Match-winning support has come from many quarters, including from both the veterans and youngsters in the South African side.
Makhaya Ntini, after a period of time some way off his best, came back strongly in the second test win over India to provide the Proteas' attack with a contrasting cutting edge to Steyn's pace and swing. Morne Morkel, meanwhile, added a different dimension with his express pace and extra lift.
Up front in the batting order, Neil McKenzie, after a four-year absence was given an opportunity and he grabbed it with both hands. Against Bangladesh, he and captain Graeme Smith shared a test world record first wicket stand of 415 as he scored a career-best 226 and Smith 232. He followed that up with 94 and 155 not out in the first test against India.
Batting strength
With Smith and McKenzie providing good starts at the top of the order, South Africa's batting has flourished, even when the team's kingpin, Jacques Kallis, has failed to produce his best. However, that doesn't ever last long and Kallis has been outstanding.
He was sensational against New Zealand and Pakistan; in the first test against the Black Caps, Kallis scored 29 and 186. Then, in his only innings in the second test, he weighed in with 103. Against Pakistan, his scores were 155 and 100 not out, and 59 and 107 not out.
He was quieter against Bangladesh and into the first test against India, but then exploded with 132 in the second test victory.
AB de Villiers has shown increased maturity this season, which was highlighted by his unbeaten 217 in Ahmedabad, while Hashim Amla has made the number three position his own with his solid, at times superb, run scoring.
Contributions
The rest of the middle order batsmen have also found ways to contribute, showing off impressive technique against spin, which in the past some had called South Africa's weakness.
The Proteas, it is clear, are a unit that is functioning exceptionally well as a team. The veterans of the side recognise this, including Kallis, who has praised the contributions of the young guns. He believes they have taken their performances to a higher level.
Former South African captain Kepler Wessels, who also played for Australia in 24 tests, reckons South Africa should be regarded as favourites to beat England in England later this year, while he feels they are ready to challenge Australia in Australia.
Confidence
Confidence is clearly high in the South African team and one gets the impression that the best is yet to come; with so many of the key contributors in recent test series barely into their test careers, and with the veterans making crucial contributions, the Proteas are performing at a high level, regardless of the conditions and the venues, and even more is now expected of them.
The transition the team has made since the retirement of Shaun Pollock, South Africa's all-time leading wicket-taker, has been seamless, and it is all the more impressive when one considers that he stepped down while still the highest ranked one-day bowler in world cricket by some margin.
The team's aggressive approach and performances have been, for South African fans, fun to watch and oh so exciting and what was once a daunting schedule is one that the supporters and no doubt the players now eagerly await.
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