Peter Robinson
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1st Test: South Africa v India at Bloemfontein, 3-7 Nov 2001 Peter Robinson |
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India 1st innings:
South Africa 1st innings: |
Gibbs, whose previous three Test centuries were all scored abroad, was finally dismissed for 107, just six balls after Gary Kirsten had departed for 73. Together the pair had put on 189 for the first wicket as the pitch flattened out into a perfect batting strip after lunch.
The South Africans had been relatively restrained during the first hour after the lunch break until Ashish Nehra was hit out of the attack, conceding 17 off his 10th over. His replacement, Zaheer Khan, India’s second left-arm seamer, fared little better as Gibbs hoisted his first delivery over square leg for six and helped himself to another boundary as 10 came off the over and the partnership reached 150.
By now Gibbs was seeing the ball like a football and he went to his century with his second six off Zaheer. At this stage it was difficult to understand India’s tactics. Zaheer was bowling around the wicket to the right-hander with an eight-one field, virtually inviting Gibbs to help himself to runs on the leg side.
The breakthrough, though, came at the other end from Anil Kumble who had plugged away steadily. Kirsten tried to hit his stock delivery through the leg side and was bowled off an inside edge after batting for four minutes more than three hours. He had hit 12 fours.
Gibbs went in the next over as Javagal Srinath replaced Zaheer. He drove uppishly and Zaheer accept a waist-high catch at mid-off. The ebullient Gibbs had faced 145 balls, hitting 16 fours and two sixes and the second wicket had gone down at 197.
The South African 200 came up off the next ball as Neil McKenzie square drove Srinath for four and at tea McKenzie had 12 with Jacques Kallis on 6.
Both batsmen reached 50 during this period, Kirsten for the 25th time and Gibbs for the ninth time. Gibbs, however, tended to have the greater share of the strike after both players had been not out on 40 at the lunch break.
Legspinner Anil Kumble, who had come into the attack shortly before lunch, bowled unchanged from the Loch Logan end while Sourav Ganguly used Javagal Srinath and Ashish Nehra from the Willows end.
A single from Kirsten off Kumble brought up the South African 100 in the 28th over of the innings as Gibbs moved to his 50 in the same over. He had been at the crease for 118 minutes when he reached the landmark after facing 92 balls and hitting eight fours.
Kirsten, meanwhile, had made only three in the first 44 minutes after the break before he slashed Nehra high over the gully for his first boundary of the session. Kirsten then reached his 50, driving Kumble wide of mid on for his 10th four after being at the crease for 133 minutes.
The last over before the drinks break from Nehra produced 17 for South Africa. Kirsten scored a three from a delivery that kicked off the bat handle and then Gibbs hit three boundaries, including the shot of the innings, a sumptuous cover drive off the back foot.
At drinks Gibbs was on 75 with Kirsten on 55.
The South Africans had taken just five overs and one ball to finish off the Indian first innings on a cool and cloudy morning, and Gibbs and Kirsten ensured that there was no quick breakthrough for the tourists.
It was, for the South Africans, their first view of left-arm seamer Ashish Nehra and Kirsten look a little uncertain during Nehra’s first over, getting off the mark with a scratchy four that dropped just short of Virender Sehwag at third slip.
The experienced South Africa settled quickly, however, to drive Nehra straight and then through the covers for four in Nehra’s third over.
Gibbs, meanwhile, had played an awkward stroke against Javagal Srinath earlier in the innings, the ball looping up into the vacant midwicket area. But he too quickly adjusted to the pace of the pitch and when Zaheer Khan replaced Nehra at the Loch Logan end, Gibbs tucked the first two deliveries of Zaheer’s second over neatly off his pads for successive boundaries.
With Harbhajan Singh unavailable, India had only one specialist spinner to call upon and Anil Kumble was brought into the attack shortly before lunch. Gibbs greeted him by punching his first ball away through the covers off the back for four. There was also a four for Kirsten, driven through the covers, as Kumble’s first over produced nine runs for South Africa.
Both Kirsten and Gibbs took boundaries off the lunch over bowled by Nehra to both go on for their midday meal not out on 40.
The Indians, 372 for seven overnight, lost their last three wickets in the space of six balls on a cool morning with a chill breeze sweeping across the ground.
Deep Dasgupta was the first to fall, Shaun Pollock finding the outside edge for Mark Boucher to take a good, low catch to his right. Dasgupta, who had just scored a five when a Nantie Hayward shy at the stumps at the bowler’s end ran away for four overthrows, made 34 with the eighth Indian wicket going down at 379.
There was no further addition to the total. Zaheer Khan was adjudged caught at the wicket off the third ball he faced from Pollock and Javagal Srinath was well caught at point by Herschelle Gibbs off the first ball of Hayward’s next over.
Pollock finished the innings with four for 91 while Hayward took three for 70 as the South Africans did well to come back from a disappointing first day.
The Indians, 372 for seven overnight, lost their last three wickets in the space of six balls on a cool morning with a chill breeze sweeping across the ground.
Deep Dasgupta was the first to fall, Shaun Pollock finding the outside edge for Mark Boucher to take a good, low catch to his right. Dasgupta, who had just scored a five when a Nantie Hayward shy at the stumps at the bowler’s end ran away for four overthrows, made 34 with the eighth Indian wicket going down at 379.
There was no further addition to the total. Zaheer Khan was adjudged caught at the wicket off the third ball he faced from Pollock and Javagal Srinath was well caught at point by Herschelle Gibbs off the first ball of Hayward’s next over.
Pollock finished the innings with four for 91 while Hayward took three for 70 as the South Africans did well to come back from a disappointing first day.
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Date-stamped : 05 Nov2001 - 10:35