Jan 14 2009
Are The Proteas Getting Away?
Well after the test series victory of South Africa over Australia, it looks as though the South Africans are very much satisfied, with their hunger for runs as well as victories have vanished or diminished. Whatever you can say. For, even the second T20 game between the two countries saw Australia dominating the show, with South Africa no where nearby. The first match was also never played with the spirit of the T20 game. An article regarding the first T20 game between the two countries was written under the title “South Africans Dig Their Own Game “, citing as to how the South African approach to the game was.
Atleast, in the second T20 game, something different was expected from the South Africans. If not for the likes of Duminy, the rest of the South African batsmen just followed suite. Something fully was the way Duminy not only let go off a catch of Cameron White, but also let the ball go for a boundary. A wicket taking delivery costing four runs? Can you just believe it! Something silly was witnessed in the second game as well, after their line and length in the first game. This I blame it on the test series victories of South Africa over Australia.
And why not? After winning the second test against Australia at Melbourne, the heroics never found to be repeated by the Proteas. For, they easily let go off an opportunity to win the third test and with it the number one position in test cricket. It was not the lack of Greame Smith’s presence responsible for these losses. When a team can fight back from a position of 198/7 to go on and take an innings lead of 65 runs, and also chase a mammoth total of 414, there should have been absolutely no reason as to why the Proteas should not have made up their mind and won the third test also.
As I always go by, it is not either winning or losing that really matters in any match. All that matters is the way the teams fighting it out there approach the game with the courage to tackle the opposition. And, the scoreboard could be the best to show the way the South Africans approached the two T20 games. The South African batsmen spent more time at the crease, if not for Duminy and Amla. And never had any thought of dismissing the Australian batsmen and putting pressure on the same. In the sense, there was hardly any attempt on the South African players’ side to defend a rather total.
And if one asks me as to whether I am an Aussies hater or a South African supporter, no! I am a fan of interesting cricket, exciting cricket and a hater of boring ones. Ciao
