South Africa v India - Third Test

Centurion Park

SAF: BA Richards, *TL Goddard, EAB Rowan, RG Pollock, AD Nourse, JN Rhodes, +JHB Waite, MJ Procter, NBF Mann, AA Donald, NAT Adcock.
IND: *SM Gavaskar, NS Sidhu, PR Umrigar, GR Viswanath, M Azharuddin, +FM Engineer, Kapil Dev, DG Phadkar, M Prabhakar, BS Bedi, BS Chandrasekhar.

Debuts: Nil
Umpires: CJ Mitchley & DL Orchard
Toss: South Africa

After the scathing criticism of the playing surface in Durban, it was hardly surprising to find that a seemingly perfect batting strip had been produced for the series decider here, and once Trevor Goddard won a crucial toss South Africa set about establishing a commanding position in the match.

Goddard himself continued his wretched series with the bat, edging Kapil Dev behind for 2, but Richards was dominant, adding 108 with Rowan (33) and 85 with Pollock before finally being stumped off Chandrasekhar for an imperious 150, made off just 183 balls. The Springboks were 212-3 at this stage, and after Pollock and Nourse (26) put on a further 71 for the fourth wicket, Jonty Rhodes joined Pollock for a partnership that would just about put India out of the game.

Pollock was not at his flowing best but reached his century nonetheless, his thirteenth in ATG Tests, and Rhodes completed his maiden ATG century on the second afternoon as the pair posted a stand of 151 for the fifth wicket; Rhodes' position in the side was under great debate before this match, but it would now seem that he has booked a place on South Africa's upcoming tour of the West Indies.

Pollock eventually fell for 146, but Rhodes was unbeaten on 115 when Goddard declared midway through the second afternoon, South Africa having racked up an imposing 532-8, their third highest total in ATG Tests. Gavaskar and Sidhu's second century opening stand of the series got India's reply off to a good start, but both fell in quick succession as South Africa snared three wickets before lunch on day three, and the tourists' innings stuttered thereafter as the Springboks' bowlers, led by Mike Procter, made regular breakthroughs.

Umrigar's first fifty of the series was a positive knock, and 64 from Kapil Dev - who had been dropped on 5 by Rowan - enlivened proceedings later on, but a total of 307 was not enough to avoid following-on, and with four and a half sessions of the match still remaining, India had it all to do. Attack seemed to be the best form of defence for the tourists though, and after Sidhu fell lbw to Goddard for a streaky 25, Gavaskar and Umrigar plundered 23 from one Neil Adcock over, an ATG record, Umrigar striking four consecutive boundaries from the final four deliveries.

As in the first innings though, three quick wickets halted India's progress, and with Viswanath and Azharuddin both departing for ducks, 97-1 became 114-4 and South Africa were back on top. India still trailed by 111 at this stage, but Engineer now became a resolute partner for Umrigar, helping take India to the close without further loss, and with rain washing out all but five overs of the fifth morning, the tourists now had a more than even chance of saving the match.

That they were in such a position was almost solely down to Polly Umrigar, who was playing one of the great innings. He reached his century with his seventeenth boundary, and when he was finally out for 130 (162 balls, 20x4), he was afforded a standing ovation as he made his way back to the pavilion. 110 had been added with Engineer, but at 224-5 India still trailed by 1 run and there was much more work to be done. More rain took a further half hour out of the equation, but with both Engineer (28) and Phadkar (1) departing before tea, India entered the final session on 254-7, leading by just 29 and about to face the new ball.

Procter and Donald steamed in, and for the second time in the series a sickening blow on the head courtesy of Allan Donald sent an Indian to hospital, Manoj Prabhakar the unfortunate victim on this occasion. Kapil Dev's response was to fight fire with fire though, and his second fifty of the match, coupled with Bedi's highest ever ATG innings (28), took India to safety as South Africa's tiring attack was unable to deliver the final blow.

India had thus secured a highly creditable draw in both the match and the series, a result that denied South Africa the chance to take over the outright number one position in the world rankings. That opportunity now goes to England, whose upcoming tour of New Zealand could see them finally oust Australia from the top spot ahead of next season's Ashes series.

Scores
SAF 1st Inns 532-8 dec. (Richards 150, Pollock 146, Rhodes 115*)
IND 1st Inns 307 (Kapil Dev 64, Sidhu 63, Umrigar 59, Gavaskar 46, Azharuddin 43; Procter 5-88)
IND 2nd Inns 347-8 (Umrigar 130, Kapil Dev 75*, Gavaskar 40; Goddard 4-54)

MATCH DRAWN


Man of the Match: PR Umrigar

South Africa v India - Second Test

Kingsmead, Durban

SAF: BA Richards, *TL Goddard, EAB Rowan, RG Pollock, AD Nourse, JN Rhodes, +JHB Waite, MJ Procter, PM Pollock, AEE Vogler, NBF Mann.
IND: *SM Gavaskar, NS Sidhu, PR Umrigar, GR Viswanath, M Azharuddin, CG Borde, +FM Engineer, Kapil Dev, M Prabhakar, BS Bedi, BS Chandrasekhar.

Debuts: Nil
Umpires: CJ Mitchley & DL Orchard
Toss: India

A win in Durban for South Africa would both clinch the series and secure the number one spot in the world rankings, but the quality (or lack of) of the Kingsmead wicket was of great debate in the lead up to the match and would surely prove something of a leveller over the course of the Test.

India had been forced to add Srinath (hand) and Venkat (knee) to their injury list since Port Elizabeth, but Gavaskar won a hugely important toss and gave the tourists a critical advantage before a ball had even been bowled. He and Sidhu added a sprightly 88 for the first wicket, with Sidhu spanking the recalled Vogler's first three balls to the boundary, and although there were failures once again for both Umrigar (4) and Azharuddin (a first ball duck), Gavaskar's 83 and a compliant lower order took India to 275-7 at the end of day one, a score that was extended to 335 all out by the second afternoon.

Engineer, Kapil Dev and Prabhakar all made significant contributions down the order, and on a wicket that was already starting to go through the top, India now found themselves in a very strong position. Richards and Goddard both fell early as South Africa replied, and from a score of 10-2 the innings never recovered. Graeme Pollock's 40 was the top score as Bedi and Chandrasekhar revelled in conditions more akin to Delhi than Durban, and before the second day was out, South Africa had been skittled for 135, with India's spinners sharing eight of the wickets.

With a lead of exactly 200 Gavaskar could have enforced the follow-on, but he elected to bat again, only to become the day's 14th victim when Procter castled him with what proved to be the final ball of the day. More mayhem followed on day three as Tufty Mann picked up his first ATG five wicket haul on the way to routing the Indians for 126 in an innings that lasted just 52 overs. Had Goddard trusted Vogler to bowl then maybe the carnage would have been greater still, but after returning figures of 1-85 off 15 overs on the first day, Vogler was not thrown the ball again in the match.

As it was, South Africa now needed the little matter of 327 to win on a wicket that was making batting a lottery, and India stood on the brink of a wholly unexpected victory. Richards and Goddard both failed again, victims of the highly effective Manoj Prabhakar, and Rowan soon followed, but Pollock and Nourse were able to get going and for a while there was hope for the Springboks. However, 99-3 became 105-6 as Chandrasekhar picked up three wickets in the blink of an eye, including Pollock's for an admirable 56, and it now seemed to be just a matter of time. Procter hit out for a defiant 45, adding 73 for the seventh wicket with the obdurate Nourse, but when both eventually fell to Bedi in the space of nine balls the game was up.

South Africa were finally all out for 184 midway through the fourth afternoon, and India had completed a shock victory by the sizeable margin of 142 runs. The game had been won on the first day, with India's first innings of 335 proving decisive, and Sunil Gavaskar picked up his second man of the match award of the series for his match-high innings of 83. The Kingsmead pitch had proved the real decisive factor in this match though, and the South African camp were understandably livid at the surface which had been prepared here. The teams now travel to Centurion all-square, and an unexpectedly competitive finish to the series is now on the cards.

Scores
IND 1st Inns 335 (Gavaskar 83, Kapil Dev 55, Prabhakar 43*, Sidhu 40, Engineer 40; Goddard 4-48)
SAF 1st Inns 135 (RG Pollock 40; Bedi 4-48, Chandrasekhar 4-48)
IND 2nd Inns 126 (Mann 5-56)
SAF 2nd Inns 184 (RG Pollock 56, Nourse 49, Procter 45; Bedi 4-57)

INDIA WON BY 142 RUNS


Man of the Match: SM Gavaskar

South Africa v India - First Test

St George's Park, Port Elizabeth

SAF: BA Richards, *TL Goddard, EAB Rowan, RG Pollock, AD Nourse, JN Rhodes, +JHB Waite, MJ Procter, PM Pollock, NBF Mann, AA Donald.
IND: *SM Gavaskar, NS Sidhu, PR Umrigar, VS Hazare, M Azharuddin, +FM Engineer, Kapil Dev, M Prabhakar, J Srinath, S Venkataraghavan, BS Bedi.

Debuts: EAB Rowan (SAF)
Umpires: CJ Mitchley & DL Orchard
Toss: India

Given the Indians' showing with the bat in the warm-up game in Bloemfontein, the first Test was expected to be a hard fought affair, but from the moment they folded for 223 in their first innings here the tourists were always fighting a losing battle in Port Elizabeth.

India picked only five specialist batsmen in what was seen by most as an attacking move, and when Gavaskar and Sidhu batted through the entire opening session for a partnership of 114, that move seemed to be entirely vindicated. However, the South Africans regrouped during lunch, and in overcast conditions they simply blew away the rest of the innings once Sidhu fell for 46 in the first over of the afternoon. Vijay Hazare was struck a sickening blow to the side of the head by Allan Donald having scored just 1, and his retirement seemed to undermine the confidence of the rest of the team; aside from the opening partnership, the next highest stand was a paltry 27.

Gavaskar went on to record a worthy century, but on what was a relatively flat wicket the remainder of India's batting was not up to the challenge laid down by the hosts. Mann, in for the injured Tayfield, bowled an economical spell towards the end of the innings, and South Africa were batting within the first hour of the second morning. India's 223 looked well below par, but the Springboks slumped to 48-3 before a methodical century stand between Pollock and Nourse got the innings back on track. Pollock eventually edged Prabhakar into the slips for 46, and when Nourse departed shortly after for 67, South Africa were 171-5 and in danger of conceding their advantage. The tail wagged though, and led by Peter Pollock's 35 the lead was taken on a rain affected third morning. Manoj Prabhakar's second beamer of the innings, both at Peter Pollock, spiced up proceedings in the afternoon, and the St George's Park crowd was very quick to make its feelings known, although fortunately for Prabhakar the innings did not last long after Pollock's dismissal.

South Africa were all out for 268, a disappointing total after dismissing India so cheaply, but their lead of 45 was to prove more than handy as the tourists batted with even greater ineptitude than on the opening day. Only Gavaskar (48), Azharuddin (44) and Srinath (11) made it into double figures, and with four players recording ducks India were bundled out for a pitiful 123 shortly before lunch on the fourth morning. Goddard picked up four wickets as a succession of rash drives kept John Waite and the slips busy, and Mike Procter returned figures of 3-35 off 23 unforgivingly probing overs; the fact that a knee strain kept Donald from bowling at least gave India some respite.

Tight bowling from Bedi and Venkat made South Africa wait until after tea to hit the winning runs, but their eight wicket victory when it came was thoroughly deserved. India had been outplayed, and their performance with the bat was a great disappointment, with only Gavaskar providing any meaningful resistance. If South Africa can hold on to their lead then they will become the official number one ATG team at the end of the series, and given India's showing here one would not bet against the crowning of new kings in two Tests' time.

Scores
IND 1st Inns 223 (Gavaskar 102, Sidhu 46)
SAF 1st Inns 268 (Nourse 67, RG Pollock 46)
IND 2nd Inns 123 (Gavaskar 48, Azharuddin 44; Goddard 4-37)
SAF 2nd Inns 79-2

SOUTH AFRICA WON BY 8 WICKETS

Man of the Match: SM Gavaskar

South Africa v India - Tour Match

South African Invitation XI v Indians
Springbok Park, Bloemfontein
4 Day Game
Umpires: RGA Ashman & HC Kidson

Invitation XI: SJ Cook, HJ Fotheringham, PN Kirsten, KS McEwan, KA McKenzie, *CEB Rice, BM McMillan, +RV Jennings, GS Le Roux, AJ Kourie, VAP Van Der Bijl.
Indians: SM Gavaskar, NS Sidhu, PR Umrigar, GR Viswanath, M Azharuddin, CG Borde, Kapil Dev, +FM Engineer, M Prabhakar, J Srinath, BS Bedi.

A Springbok Park featherbed spoiled this warm-up game as a competitive fixture, although it did allow India's batsmen to rack up some valuable time at the crease ahead of the first Test. The tourists piled up a massive 556-6 before declaring at lunch on the second day, and with the Invitation XI's reply of 497 taking until the fourth afternoon to complete, the match petered out into a tame draw.

Sunil Gavaskar was the only Indian batsman not to cash in on the benign conditions, falling to Le Roux in both innings for 4 and 1, but his opening partner, Navjot Sidhu, was the big success story for India, pummelling 183 off just 194 deliveries on an opening day that saw the tourists race to a formidable 396-4. Azharuddin completed a princely century on day two, Viswanath contributed a fluent 86, and Borde made 60, although he looked nowhere near as fluent as most of his colleagues.

None of the South African bowlers looked in good form, with Le Roux, Rice and Kourie all conceding runs at a rate of five an over, but led by hundreds from Jimmy Cook and Ken McEwan, their batsmen were soon dishing out reciprocal punishment, albeit at a slower rate. India's bowlers could only claim one wicket on a third day that ended with the Invitation XI on 378-3, but Peter Kirsten's near strokeless, five hour 72 had held the hosts back somewhat, and wickets tumbled on the fourth morning as the South Africans tried to press the accelerator.

Kapil Dev was the most impressive Indian bowler, claiming 3-73 in 35 very disciplined overs, but Srinath disappointed, and Bedi was made to send down 54 largely fruitless overs, a display that hopefully won't have sapped his strength too much ahead of the Tests. What is sure though is that most of India's top order are in good nick going into the first Test in Port Elizabeth, and South Africa are going to have to work hard if they want to take the top spot in the ATG world.

Scores
Indians 1st Inns 556-6 dec. (Sidhu 183, Azharuddin 111*, Viswanath 86, Borde 60)
Invitation XI 1st Inns 497 (McEwan 153, Cook 104, Kirsten 72, Fotheringham 58)
Indians 2nd Inns 71-4

MATCH DRAWN

South Africa v India - Series Preview

Both sides enter this three Test tour having won their previous series, but South Africa must be the firm favourites here, knowing that a victorious campaign will put them on top of the ATG rankings for the very first time. The Springboks' pace battery simply overpowered Australia last time out, and bearing in mind India's reliance on spin, we are likely to see more of the same here. In contrast, India's seamers struggled to make an impact in the recent series against New Zealand, and one feels that they will be relying on their batsmen to rack up some big totals in order to be competitive here.

The tour gets under way with a four day match in Bloemfontein against a South African Invitation XI; the home side will be made up of players from South Africa's 'isolation years', and the game should provide the tourists with a stern test ahead of the Test matches.

India's Squad
SM Gavaskar (c), VS Hazare (v/c), M Azharuddin, BS Bedi, CG Borde, BS Chandrasekhar, FM Engineer, Kapil Dev, SMH Kirmani, DG Phadkar, M Prabhakar, NS Sidhu, J Srinath, PR Umrigar, S Venkataraghavan, GR Viswanath.