Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid’s heroics went in vain following India’s defeat against the Africans on Tuesday.
The opening pair started off in the chilly morning and could not last long as left-handed Sourav Ganguly was dismissed cheaply. Later, Gambhir also got out without opening his account. Returning to the original form the ‘Little Master’ and ‘The Wall’ brilliantly countered the bowling attack, put on by the Africans.
However, in the last ten overs, Indian’s failed to excel the innings whereby failing to post a reasonable total. The unfortunate departure of Tendulkar and Dravid made the rest of the players went tumbling down the heels, wherein nobody could rescue them. Consequently, Indians managed 242 for the loss of eight wickets in the allotted fifty overs.
The show again exhibits the old tradition of the Indian Cricket of not striking, when needed.
From the African’s perspective Nell, Kallis and Hall exhibited a good quality bowling spells.
The chase of the African’s was bagged by Van and Kallis’s valiant batting with the support of a couple of other players, as well. Though there were some hiccups in the middle stages of the innings but the mentor and caliber exhibited by Kallis at the other end showed no mercy. Kallis hit a scintillating ninety-one runs and kept his nerves till the very end.
Piyush Chawla did strike well by claiming three wickets, the rest of the so called experienced Indian bowlers are yet, striving hard to make any mark.
With two more matches lying ahead the Indians might be hoping to perform well and remove the shackles of frequent loosing against the best teams.
