After 4.99 days of blistering Test cricket, it's a shame that the Wanderers Test opener may be remembered by one of the most negative cricketing displays since Trevor Chappell's underarm daisy cutter thirty-odd years ago. Having switched on the TV after spotting the imminent world record online, I was bitterly disappointed to witness such a pathetic capitulation to 'safety-first'. From the expressions of the home fans in the stands, I was clearly not alone. With South Africa needing about a run a ball from three overs with three wickets remaining and a decent batsman in Vernon Philander still at the crease, history was theirs for the taking. Perhaps more important for the hard-nosed management, it was a victory that would have maintained SA's margin ahead of India in the ICC rankings. Yet it didn't happen.
So whose fault was it? I can't criticise MS Dhoni's tactics at all. Once Faf du Plessis had taken his side to the verge of the highest fourth innings winning total in Test cricket before being run out by a direct hit, it was reasonable to expect Dale Steyn to be less comfortable against Zaheer Khan and Shami than Vernon Philander. Therefore to keep him on strike and deliver some unplayable balls was a good move. What was astonishing was Steyn's refusal to contemplate any risk at all, and Philander's lack of adventure in either taking the offered singles or taking the attack to the bowlers.
I can understand the negativity from Alastair Cook and it was argued that fear of defeat outweighed the temptation of going for the win. But they were eight runs from a world record, for heaven's sake!! The last-ball six put the tin lid on it!! Calm down, Mike. Take a breather and reflect on the preceding 430-odd overs. It was a match which pitched the top two Test sides against one another, and it lived up to the billing. There were wickets for Philander and the returning Zaheer Khan, grown-up batting from Virat Kohli, a masterful century from Pujara and last-day heroics from AB de Villiers which so nearly turned the tide in the home side's favour. In response to my question in the title, I guess Dhoni can take the greater pleasure from the result as his side didn't really deserve to lose.
As for Dale Steyn, it wasn't his greatest hour with the ball, either. However, everything is relative. Having led the Test ICC rankings for more than four years he finally ceded the top spot to team-mate Philander. Don't forget the older man's versatility; he is also number two in the ODI rankings. Speaking of versatility, AB de Villiers tops the table for batting in both formats, just ahead of Amla and, in ODIs, Kohli. That just speaks volumes for SA's strength in depth. Maybe Jacques Kallis won't be so badly missed when he retires after all, and his first-ball LBW didn't help!
Now for the Durban re-match on Boxing Day. With interest in the MCG action diminished by England's early Ashes wipe-out, South Africa and India can be expected to serve up more exciting fare. After the incredibly tight opener, I'm sure Steyn will be keen to get at Dhawan, Vijay et al. With Morkel injured, more weight will fall on his shoulders (and those of Philander and Kallis) but it remains a mouth-watering contest. Such a shame there are so few fixtures in this series. How many times have we said that in the past few years. Cricket needs more showdowns between the top sides. It was great to see these two in the Champions Trophy in the summer and I, for one, would prefer to see SA v India with the trurkey leftovers than yet another over-hyped Ashes clash. Bring it on...
