Harbhajan hurricane for SA at Eden
Hashim Amla who scored a chanceless 123 n.o. was the last man standing but he certainly did not have the last laugh as India’s Harbhajan Singh scripted a sensational comeback that has literally saved not just his career but also the hopes of an entire nation that watched with bated breath as the fiesty sardar bagged 5 for 59 to help India beat South Africa by an innings and 56 runs to win the second Test at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
In the post-match conference that followed, Harbhajan Singh let it out on the ruthless media that had written him off. “It’s bad and unfair when you find yourself being criticized or talked about unnecessarily by the media. People should understand their sense of responsibility towards their profession,” Bhajji said.
However, Bhajji did acknowledge the fact that India did not get into the top of ICC Test rankings by fluke but has performed consistently for a few years now. The win on Thursday meant that India will remain on the top of the Test rankings for the first time since the rankings were introduced in 2003. They also ended Australia’s run at the No.1 spot for seven consecutive years.
However, the win was hard earned for the Indian team as Morne Morkel and Amla threatened to seal a draw but Bhajji trapped the former to end the SA resistance.
Earlier, weather wither India’s march In a Test that has literally gone India’s way post tea-session on Day One, the weather could prove to be a spoiler for the hosts as the fourth day was literally stopped due to bad weather with the South Africans on 115 for 3, needing another 232 to make India bat again.
It could be a decisive blow for the Indians who are all set to lose their numero uno spot, courtesy South Africa’s first Test win at Nagpur last week. For the better part of the four days, India’s bats have been talking with four sensations centuries from the willows of VVS, Sachin, Sehwag and skipper Dhoni.
The biggest blooper for the hosts who steamrolled the opposition to submission in the first innings was the delay in declaration on Day Three, courtesy a slow scoring rate that could make an all-important difference to the outcome of this Test. While India had Laxman and Dhoni to thank for who put on an unbeaten 259 for the seventh wicket, the scoring rate left a lot to be desired. It is a match which India needs to win more than their opponents.
Just 301 runs scored with a wicket lost for the hosts meant that India did delay the declaration, a move that could be the decisive moment in the match. Had the scoring rate been better, India could have pressed for declaration, before tea on Day Three, a couple of wickets could have given the bowlers more purchase before stumps on a day where overcast conditions was the order.
With the master of Eden Gardens —- VVS Laxman in sublimal form, it should have occurred to Dhoni to have upped the ante, to give more overs for his cherry hurlers. With weather gods relentless in their endeavour to play spoilsport, it has little chance for the Indians to go for the series-leveller on Thursday.
