The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Spin duo stars in India's triumph

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Friday, Dec 03, 2004

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Sport - Cricket

Spin duo stars in India's triumph

By Vijay Lokapally

CONTROVERSIAL CATCH: Harbhajan Singh exults as Shaun Pollock is given out caught by Gautam Gambhir despite the ball having missed the bat. - Photo: V.V. Krishnan

KOLKATA, DEC. 2. India cantered to an eight-wicket series clinching 1-0 win over South Africa but the celebrations at the Eden Gardens were tempered by a dubious decision from umpire Darryl Harper which hastened South Africa's end against an attack that had a stranglehold on the match when it snared Jacques Kallis early on Thursday morning.

The ultimate course of the contest may not have been altered by this one decision but it came at a stage when South Africa was determined to extend the fight into the last session at least. "We need 120 runs to make India struggle," Makhaya Ntini had remarked on the fourth day. Eventually even that was not enough to put any kind of pressure on India.

Seven for Harbhajan

It was a memorable moment for Anil Kumble when he equalled Kapil Dev's feat of 434 wickets while Harbhajan Singh, the `man of the match', finished with a seven-wicket haul including that of Shaun Pollock who was ruled caught at short-leg by Gautam Gambhir with the ball missing the bat completely.

The decision shattered the South African hopes and came at a crucial time. Pollock could have realistically presented the Indians a challenge, having completed 3000 runs in Test cricket during the course of this innings apart from his 300 wickets.

When it resumed in the morning at 172 for five, South Africa's hopes lay in Kallis defying the Indian attack. However, he failed to motivate himself and was out to a tame return catch off his eighth ball of the morning to Harbhajan.

This was just the beginning of the South African surrender. Pollock was out next while Justin Ontong gloved the ball in trying a sweep.

Harbhajan, who struck with his ninth ball of the morning, claimed the first three wickets to fall on the day and seemed to enjoy his bowling. His rhythm was superb and his variation left the South Africans in a daze. This was Harbhajan's 15th five-wicket haul in 41 Tests.

Kumble takes over

Kumble, in his 90th Test, took over then to add two more wickets to his tally and equal Kapil Dev's record of 434 in 131 Tests. "It feels great to be along side someone whom I grew up watching as a role model. It's nice to have got it at the Eden Gardens but I would have been happier if I had passed the record here. I'm realistically looking at the 500-mark and be the first Indian to be there," said a beaming Kumble, who did not fail to mention the contribution of wife Chetna here.

Thami Tsolekile played the wrong line and Kumble ended South Africa's resistance by removing Makhaya Ntini to a catch at slip.

The target was hardly a challenge even though India lost Gambhir and `man of the series' Virender Sehwag cheaply, both paying the price for aggression. The occasion was ideal for Rahul Dravid to grind the attack and stay focussed in the company of Sachin Tendulkar.

South Africa just did not have the cushion of a stiffer target but as captain Graeme Smith confessed his team had a lot to gain from the series. It certainly won many a heart through its impeccable behaviour on and off the field.

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