By Gaurang
December 23 2013

India surprise the South Africans by their courageous display in the first Test nearly turning the tables on their much fancied hosts. 

One of the unique aspects of Test cricket is how it not only glorifies great wins, but also great draws.  In this it reflects the real world much more than most other games do.  In other sports, one side must win and the other side must lose, or they can tie, but Test cricket allows for a situation where the sides fight tooth and nail to a standstill with both sides thoroughly drained from the effort, but then pull back at the last instant to achieve an “honorable” draw by refusing to risk a loss to go for a win.

Before the first Test match of the South Africa v. India  series, if one polled the teams and their fans, the Indians would have settled for a draw much more readily than the South Africans.  However at the end of a pulsating battle that swung back and forth over the entire five days,  it was the South Africans who were readier to settle for a draw.

The less than sell-out crowd which came into the “Bullring” at the Wanderers on the Sunday before Christmas, were treated to a Battle Royale, which witnessed two of the greatest innings played in a fourth innings run chase ever.  They were treated to two contrasting knocks, one attritional and gritty by Faf du Plesis and the other effervescent and bold by A.B. de Villiers as hosts first thwarted, then nearly turned the tables on the visitors.  India too played their part by throwing everything they had to try and secure a win, that at the start of the match seemed totally improbable, if not impossible, especially given the visitors’ poor performance in the preceding ODIs and the washout of the one marginal practice match that they were afforded by the schedule. 

It all boiled down to 16 runs needed in 18 balls and 3 wickets in hand.  When the South African batsmen in the middle, Vernon Philander and Dale Steyn pulled down the shutters and decided to not take any risks, and play for a draw, the home crowd vented their anger and started booing the batsmen.  It was an emotional and somewhat understandable reaction.  The prevalence of limited over cricket has meant that a team with 16 runs to get and three overs and three wickets remaining would be expected to go for it.  What the crowd forgot was that in the limited over game the side chasing had no choice, but to go for it.  Of course there was always a chance that they would lose, but if they didn’t go for it, losing would be a certainty.  In Test cricket there was another choice.  Philander and Steyn  had a choice to try for a win, but also chance a loss which would have been gut wrenching after the blood, sweat and tears of the batsmen before them.  In the final analysis they decided that discretion was the better part of valor, and that they would not jeopardize a series win, and would instead live to contest it another day.

Was this cowardice, or mere prudence?  Was this negating the spirit of the game, or honoring it by recognizing that sometimes a battle may be lost (or in this case not won) in order that the war may be won.  Whatever one thinks of the decisions made in the heat of battle by both teams, it can fairly be said that after the way the two teams played, neither deserved to lose.  So maybe in the end the right result was achieved.  Both teams can hold their heads high as they move onto the scene of the next clash, Kingsmead in Durban, the day after Chritsmas.  It so happens that another  more traditional Boxing Day clash also begins just hours before as the Australians push for a clean sweep of an hapless England, but the contrast is the stakes between the two matches couldn’t be more different.  The Ashes clash is a dead-rubber encounter, while the battle in Durban will pit the world’s top two teams in a match that will decide not just the outcome of the series, but the championship of the game, though technically South Africa may still hold on to the top spot in the ICC’s rankings.     

A Draw For The Ages

Discussion started by Indian Cricket Fever (IP Logged), 23/12/2013 18:53

Indian Cricket Fever
23/12/2013 18:53

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014:01:25:04:10:41 by Birbal.

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Birbal
25/12/2013 21:10

Will India pick Jadeja instead of Rahane?

If they do it will be very harsh on Rahane...but they must go with the team that will help them win a Test series in South Africa for the first time in history...

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Meet_New_Mr_India
26/12/2013 18:12

good decision to pick jadeja in place of Ashwin..

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Birbal
26/12/2013 18:53

I'd have picked both Ashwin and Jadeja... but if I had to pick one...I'd go for Jadeja too

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Birbal
21/09/2015 07:00

down memory lane as we get ready for India v. SA again

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Birbal
15/12/2015 06:12

South Africa couldn't pull off another DRAW FOR THE AGES... in the 4th Test... but they sure tried with their stonewall tactics... but Umesh and Ashwin proved to be a bit better than them

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