The Hindu : Sport : Andrew Hall

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Nov 26, 2004

Sport

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Andrew Hall — a street fighter

By S. Dinakar

Andrew Hall who came up with a big century on his first outing as an opener for South Africa. — Photo: V.V. Krishnan

KANPUR, NOV. 25. Soon after the first Test met with a predictable end, the South Africans cooled off with a game of football, building up the moves with neat passes, and finishing in style too.

Andrew Hall, the Man of the Match of the first Test, was in the thick of action. Actually, it was appropriate too that he was donning the role of a midfielder, who has to both attack and defend, much like an all-rounder, who has to wear more than one shirt.

After his soccer exploits, Hall spent some time with The Hindu. Looking back at his international career that got underway in 1999, he dwelt on the rollercoaster ride. "It's been interesting. Obviously, there has been a struggle. I have been in and out, picked and left out. I don't pay much attention to what has happened to me in the past. I am now looking forward to cementing my place."

Big moment

The strongly built cricketer did shoulder a huge load in Kanpur, being on the field for a big chunk of the five days, first in the unfamiliar role of a Test opener, lasting 453 balls for his 163, and then snaring three wickets with his medium pace, including the scalp of Sachin Tendulkar, whose middle stump he sent flying. "That was a big moment for me," he said.

The 29-year old Hall was informed about the decision to send him at the top of the order on Thursday, and he did prepare himself mentally. "I could not let the team down, when it had asked me to put my hand up. We talked a lot in the camp, in the lead up to the Test, making sure that we were grinding it out in the middle. Gary Kirsten spoke to me about it in South Africa."

On his methods, he said: "The scoring was difficult on a slow wicket with low bounce. If you wanted to last, you had to be patient. The ball was not coming on to the bat, especially when the spinners came on. All the three Indian spinners were tough, and I had to treat each delivery on merit, without committing myself to a front-foot or a back-foot stroke."

The survivor

Here is a man who has survived a close encounter with death when a mugger shot at him from a point blank range in Johannesburg, '98. "Coming out of that is a huge positive. You learn to live every day to the fullest and give one hundred per cent to make sure that there are no regrets. It was too quick to be frightened. By the time I looked up it was finished and over with. The guy fired six rounds. I got struck on my hand, one went through my face, I had a shrapnel in my face."

He is aware of South Africa's rich legacy of all-rounders, has been inspired by Clive Rice, and is constantly gathering knowledge from team-mates Shaun Pollock and Jacques Kallis, two of the foremost members of this tribe in contemporary cricket.

Hall's philosophy towards the game is, "It is not over till the last ball is bowled. If that's the attitude you have got, there are more chances of achieving success in whatever you do. I love to battle it out." No wonder, he's called a street fighter.

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