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Neil's India Tour Diary - Week 4
Sunday, 23 January
As rewarding and encouraging as South Africa’s performance was throughout the three ODIs it was hard not to wonder what was wrong with India. The tourists were lacklustre and listless, undoubtedly hamstrung by an inconspicuous Virat Kohli who was as engaged as ever with the bat in his hands but oddly disengaged in the field as he tried to give KL Rahul his own captaincy ‘space’.
But Rahul is not a vibrant or passionate personality and appeared unable to inspire any drive in the players. Too many players were more interested in playing for themselves than putting the team first. Too few players were assured of their place and unable or unwilling to take the calculated risks required to keep up with the required run rate. Until that bizarre and unlikely eighth-wicket stand of 55 featuring one-time rabbit Jasprit Bumrah, the tourists looked largely disinterested in actually winning.
Rishabh Pant is mind-blowingly frustrating. Having given his wicket away at a crucial stage of the second test at the Wanderers he scored a sublime, unbeaten century in the third at Newlands when nobody else could score more than 29. He was that good – different level.
There may have been nothing more than pride to play for at Newlands today but charging down the pitch to your first delivery and slapping it straight to deep point was embarrassing and deeply disrespectful to a hard-working Kohli at the other end and the rest of his team mates. It capped a deeply unsatisfactory tour for India.
It was quite the opposite for the Proteas for whom Quinton de Kock returned to his glorious best and Rassie van der Dussen averaged 218 with a century, a 50 and just one dismissal. Temba Bavuma not only showed his class with the bat but captained with calm authority and tactical awareness. The respect he commands from his team could hardly have been more obvious.
Saturday, 22 January
The aftermath of an ODI series victory as impressive as South Africa’s against India often leads to an feeling of anti-climax with one game remaining which is one of the reasons why the ICC ‘invented’ the World Cup Super League qualification process by which every team has to earn sufficient points to guarantee their participation in the 2023 World Cup.
Unfortunately the current series between South Africa and India was not one of the designated series in the ‘Super League’ so there are no points available. It leaves the Proteas languishing well below the qualification places. They will have to perform just as well against India again, in India, and probably beat Australia, in Australia, to be certain of automatic qualification. If not they will be required to play the likes of Namibia, Netherlands, Papua New Guinea and Ireland in a pre-qualifier in early 2023.
In normal times the selectors, whoever they may be, might be tempted to make three or even four changes to the starting XI for the final game at Newlands tomorrow, but Temba Bavuma will be very keen to captain the team to a clean-sweep against the best team in the world. The only places up for grabs are the all rounder slot and a fast bowling place. Wayne Parnell and Dwaine Pretorius deserve a game. If both play in Cape Town, South Africa would have their deepest batting line-up since the 1999 World Cup when Lance Klusener, Shaun Pollock and Nicky Boje occupied places seven to nine.
Sadly, off-field news continues to compete with the spectacularly good on-field news. As a close friend in the business world told me today: “How can they ask a manager (Mark Boucher) to continue in his position when they have already, publicly, denounced him?”
“It’s like a legal practice asking a partner to carry on practicing while they investigate him for fraud. It makes no sense.” The good news for cricket lovers is that it has made no difference. The bad news is that Boucher’s avowed defence against the allegations against him will involve painful witness testimonies from many people, including current players and coaches.
Whether he is guilty or not, and he should pay the price if he is, the price for the game in SA will be high.
Friday, 21 January
It was a grim and attritional battle in Paarl but, fortunately, South Africa’s cricketers managed to win the duel for the hearts and minds, and attention, of the country’s cricket lovers and followers with a second powerful performance with bat and ball. The match against India was far less of a challenge resulting in a joyous seven-wicket victory with 11 balls to spare. Series won.
What a pity that the CSA executive felt it appropriate to release a statement and a seven-page charge-sheet in which they said they would be pushing for the dismissal of the Proteas head coach, the day before the team were attempting to beat the number-one ranked team in the world for a second successive series in two different formats.
Still, the attention they attracted to themselves lasted only a few hours on the baking Paarl outfield until the only men who really matter dispatched the tourists for the second consecutive match to conclude the series victory.
What an extraordinary state of affairs that the game’s administrators could make public their disdain for the coach and then ask him to take the team to New Zealand for two test matches – and return to a disciplinary hearing at which they aim to have him convicted for gross misconduct and dismiss him.
Surely they should dismiss him immediately. No, of course not. There’s ‘due process’ to be completed. Perhaps we’re on the road to getting things done right. Everybody is learning, on the job.
Fortunately Janneman Malan (91) appears to have done that already and Quinton de Kock (78 from 66 balls) did that eight years ago. For the moment the disassociation between the executive leadership of the game and those doing the real work appears not to be causing dysfunction. But that won’t last for ever. There are huge issues to be resolved, the key to success will be resolving which of them need to be sorted publicly and privately, or a combination of both.
Thursday, 20 January
For those staying in Cape Town, it was an opportunity to reflect on a clinically efficient victory in the first ODI – and then head to the beach. The playing XI did very little other than relax, recover and prepare for an even more exacting physical test during the second game on Friday when temperatures are forecast to peak around 40 degrees.
For those of us staying in Paarl, it was clearly wine-farm time, not just for the tasting of the grape but for the Fairview cheese and all the other flavours of the Boland which make this region so special. If there are more welcoming and hospitable people than the staff at La Motte, I have yet to meet them.
Just when the day was drawing to a pleasant close and attention was turning to a light evening meal and whether Wayne Parnell would replace Marco Jansen in the starting XI and whether either team might be bold enough to pick three spinners, the day took a turn. And not just because we remembered India only had two frontline spinners in their squad.The timing of CSA’s announcement that head coach Mark Boucher was being charged with misconduct including allegations of racism and discrimination was bewildering. The matter clearly needs to be investigated and concluded, as do the reasons for assistant coach Enoch Nkwe’s sudden resignation. They will not go away and cannot be swept under any carpet of convenience. But the announcement might have been better timed on Monday.
“I look forward to dealing with and defending these allegations which have been made and will do so at the hearing in due course. For now, I am solely focussed on my duties as head coach of the Proteas,” said a sanguine Boucher. Then again, would CSA have been equally criticised for spoiling the satisfaction of a series win? Perhaps there really was no good time to make the announcement.
Wednesday, 19 January
Temba Bavuma is a man relieved by being handed the captaincy of the white ball teams rather than burdened by it. It has allowed him to ignore the ‘noise’, much of it nonsense, and allowed him to concentrate on enjoying his cricket in the knowledge that he is not just appreciated by those who matter most, but cherished.
No doubt there will be those who claim his wonderful hundred was scored ‘too slowly’ for modern-day ODI cricket but, with respect, they are fools who have no understanding of how the game works. Rassie van der Dussen, who’s 129* came from just 96 balls compared to Bavuma’s 110 from 143, said: “The way Temba anchored the innings allowed me to play the way I did.” Enough said.
Bavuma’s captaincy was equally impressive. Body language is a huge part of leadership. No matter how furiously a duck’s legs are paddling under the surface, they always look calm above water. When India reached 138-1 with Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli looking in supreme control, so did Bavuma. No waving of arms, no panic. No recalling his ‘strike’ bowlers which would have indicated his concern to the batters.
The way he stood back as Keshav Maharaj organised his field was equally impressive. Captains who demand to be involved the setting of a senior bowler’s field and their strategies are invariably a little insecure. Why should Maharaj, a captain himself, need Bavuma’s permission to organise his own game-plan? Bavuma is steady and confident in his leadership role and the players respond to that.
It really was a deeply satisfying, all round performance. Pity it doesn’t count towards the World Cup Super League. The SA-India ODI series in India, which was the first to be postponed at the start of the pandemic almost two years ago, is the one scheduled for World Cup qualification points.
On a personal note, for the first time in three decades I chose to stay in Paarl rather than face the early morning, late evening drive from and back to Cape Town. What a difference two hours less driving makes to the day, especially the return drive which is straight into the setting sun on the N1.
Magnificent, home cooked evening meals, fruit and yoghurt for breakfast and a stress-free start and end to the day. And we do it all again before and after Friday’s second game. If you ever need a room in the centre of Paarl, with amazing hospitality and exceptional catering, please look up ‘Sophia’s Guest House and Café.’
Tuesday, 18 January
Training was cancelled at Boland Park with some extremely welcome summer rain lowering recent simmering temperatures by at least 10 degrees and offering some respite not just to the residents of the Western Cape and Boland, but to the Boland Park outfield, which was threatening to ‘burn’.
“Momentum is a real thing, we got some going at the Wanderers and continued it at Newlands so, although it’s a different format and we have different players, we’re hoping to carry it forward into the ODI series,” said captain, Temba Bavuma.
The two biggest talking points were the return of Quinton de Kock to national colours and whether the Proteas would play two spinners, have five or six bowling options with a batting allrounder – Dwaine Pretorius or Wayne Parnell – at No 6.
“A sixth bowling option is a luxury to have and, as a captain, I would like to have as many options as I can,” Bavuma said. “You have to accept that not all the (five) bowlers will hit their straps so it’s good to have a back-up.”
Asked about De Kock’s state of body and mind and readiness for action, Bavuma said: “He’s with the squad and has been training with us. I’m not aware of any physical issues or mental issues, either. He’s fit and healthy…it’s good to see him again. It (his decision to retire from test cricket) is a decision we respect – we miss him in the test team. He’ll have a point to prove and I’m sure he’s as excited as we are to have him back.”
Although the captain wasn’t sure what the composition of his bowling line-up would be, he confirmed that there was no question about the top order: “Quinton up front, Janneman Malan has done well, so I don’t see that changing and I’m back in the mix (after injury) at No 3. The main question is whether we have an allrounder at No 6…”
There is, of course, the exciting option of including Marco Jansen in the ODI XI for the first time after his stunning start to test cricket during which he claimed 19 wickets at an average of just 16.47.
“Marco has been drafted in – the world has now seen what qualities he has, the ‘x-factor’, so it was a no-brainer to get him into the white ball team. He’ll be in strong contention. Everyone is in contention, and we also have three spinners, Shamsi, Maharaj and Linde, who will be suited to conditions in Paarl where the wicket is lower and skiddier than the Highveld wickets.
The captain also spoke of his ‘respect’ for the Indian team, which will no doubt still be hurting after their test series defeat.
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