The three-match Test series may have ended 1-1, but India have done enough to show that they are
better than South Africa; Dhoni & Co have also busted the myth that they are poor travellers.
At the end of a gruelling series, MS Dhoni should be allowed to ponder over a few ifs. If only it had not rained before the first Test… if only he had won the toss at Centurion… if only India had snapped Mark Boucher on Thursday afternoon…
But for a couple of external factors, the result of the Test series would have been different. If not for Jacques Kallis, the final Test would have ended in three days. The 1-1 stalemate is an unfair reflection of the series. India should have won 2-1, if not 2-0. The India skipper actually admitted that he pondered over a few ifs. “The toss at Centurion was crucial to the series,” he said, before immediately adding, “If we had taken Boucher and Steyn early yesterday...”
The final Test, finally, ended in the last hour of the last day, after Graeme Smith had a go at India with the second new ball. The draw was agreed upon after the 82nd over by when India had scored 166 for three, Gautam Gambhir (64) and Rahul Dravid (31) putting to rest any South African hopes of bowling India out on the day after they got rid of Virender Sehwag (11) in the 12th over of the day.
Gambhir and Dravid consumed 36 overs between them before the No 3 batsman got an unplayable delivery from Lonwabo Tsotsobe. Gambhir hung in for some more time but he failed to complete a century for the second time in the Test. He carried on with an injured left hand. Sachin Tendulkar (14 not out) and VVS Laxman (32 not out) saw the team to safety. As Dhoni was to say later, the team was always playing for a draw. “We would have fancied our chances if the target was around 260-280, not 340.”
Despite the deadlock, India return home with an enhanced reputation. On bouncy, grassy and fresh wickets, South Africa were expected to whitewash the visitors. India have managed to escape decimation. If nothing, the series has shattered a few myths — that India are poor travellers, that they are bullies only at home, that they wilt under pressure and that they don’t have the wherewithal to play the short ball. The series has also established which is the best team in the world. “India are the best team in the world,” Smith himself admitted at the end of the series.
Dhoni was unable to count all the positives from the series but slip-catching, Harbhajan Singh’s bowling, S Sreesanth’s aggression, Zaheer Khan’s energy, seniors’ batting, VVS Laxman’s consistency, Sachin Tendulkar’s class and the collective ability to sustain the hunger, excellence and fighting quality stood out. And above all, the ability to win the big matches, which the side has been consistent at.
“It was a special series. We enjoy playing against South Africa because they do well against us,” Dhoni later said, admitting that India have failed to beat the South Africans for some time. The last three series between the teams have ended with identical 1-1 results. It has been an extended stalemate between them. Time it was broken.
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