The South Africans lost the vital match and the Titan Cup, but they can take comfort from the fact that one-day matches are quickly forgotten while Test matches are the ones that are remembered
CRICKET:V Roger Prabasarkar
AS magnificent as South Africa’s form was in the Titan Cup, although they fell at the final hurdle, their success will linger only as long in the minds as a good dream.
Gary Kirsten said before the final that the team had created something that would be long-standing in the record books, something that they could always be proud of. The point is, as he readily admitted a moment later, books cannot be affected by form and fickle nature; memories can.
“Test cricket is what people remember … we’ve played 29 one-day internationals since our last Test match and I’m not even sure that I can remember what happened in several of them.” And here’s a man who has scored six hundreds in the year!
In three random test questions fired at four South African players, they were asked to recall their individual performances in certain “selected” one-day internationals over the last 36 months. The accuracy percentage of their responses levelled at around 70%, but some classic answers were: “Was that the game where I made 80? … no, it was just 30 … no, did I make 50? In fact, did I play in that game?” The best answer from the two bowlers was: “The only good games are the ones where you don’t get slogged. If I went for less than 40 then it was a good game … how many did I go for, incidentally?”
The players ought to remember, at least better than the fans. Although the unfortunate four South Africans in question were queried on several obscurities! But test yourself on these. How many one-dayers did South Africa play against India in 1993? What was the score in the series? Who made 100s?
And tougher still, what can you remember about the Hero Cup? How many teams competed? To whom did South Africa lose in the semi- finals? By how many runs? (It was very close, and a very good game!)
Details of individual and team performances are likely to become even more quickly blurred after the Titan Cup for two reasons:
l The team has become the victim of its own success. There were only two (“good”) one- day matches during the preliminary stages, both involving India and Australia. The Hansie Cronje-Bob Woolmer combination meant the South African team were simply too good to be exciting – the very essence of why limited overs cricket is so limited. The first requirement for “success” is two teams equally matched … or at least performing equally on the day. How can a game be killed as a spectacle because one team performs brilliantly?
How many times will cricket fans say “What a terrible Test match … it was so one- sided.” The immediate reaction is to appreciate the brilliance of a majestic fast bowler, a dextrous spinner, a stubborn batsman. But nothing is as dull as a one- sided one-dayer … and South Africa have become a very dull one-day team!
l A Test series follows immediately after the Titan Cup, and whatever may happen therein will be remembered far more clearly than the three-nation coloured clothing get- together.
So, the Test matches are where the glory and long-lasting memories lie. The current South African squad will never be remembered as the team that lost the Titan Cup: they will be remembered as the team that won a series in India, should they achieve the second- rarest feat in Test cricket. Only the West Indies yields less to visitors.
Every South African player, and every Indian Test contender, is adamant that the Test series is all that really matters, so there is little point in repeating their assertions.
“The team that adjusts best will almost certainly come out on top,” asserts Pat Symcox. “Both teams have played so much one- day cricket recently that it’s going to be very difficult to get the mind right. The idea of bowling two balls the same sounds ridiculous to me at the moment, let alone two overs! But I know that everything will have to change, I’ll have to maintain pretty much the same pace, be patient, attack at the right time, defend at the right time, not be too upset when runs are scored!
“It’s going to be a real test of character for this team, to see just how good we really are, how versatile we can be. There’s no doubt in my mind that the first Test will set the tone for the series, actually the first morning. Whoever wins the toss and bats first will have to do it very well because, as everyone knows, if you don’t post a big total here in India then you’re inevitably on the back foot for the rest of the match,” says Symcox.
“And if you have to bowl first you have to keep it tight all the time. A loose hour, or an untidy session can see the other team escape to a big total. We’re up to the task, but it’s going to take every bit of our skill and experience.”
The task of adaptation is as difficult for the batsmen. Says Kirsten: “The idea of leaving balls alone outside off-stump is completely alien to me, weird. But like Pat, we are all going to have to adjust quickly. Leaving deliveries alone, building an innings, playing risk-free, chanceless cricket and making the bowler earn your wicket. All these things must return quickly.”
Kirsten does not admit to harbouring personal desires or targets for the three- Test series, but clearly something is on his mind when he says: “I wonder whether we will see the first double-century from a South African since we returned to international cricket …?” Kirsten is first in the queue, perhaps, having notched an unbeaten 200 against Durham on the national team’s tour of England two years ago.
But physical and practical adaptations are just h
lf the battle. Mental preparation, once again, falls under the finely tuned guidance of the coach Bob Woolmer.
`I know he’s got a few little surprises for us,” says Allan Donald, a close friend as well as a “student”. Woolmer brought over 100 video casettes with him to India, some of which are rather poorly reproduced feature films to keep the team amused
But many more contain hours and hours of Test match footage, filmed over the last 10 years. Every Indian dismissal from their recent series against England has been analysed by the coach and will be played many times to the squad.
In short, with the help of two three-day first class games before the first Test, the squad will feel as though they have been playing Test cricket all year by the time they take to the field in Ahmedabad. Every evening the team, having exhausted their supply of American action movies, will watch Test cricket. They will see themselves leaving balls alone outside off-stump, they will see themselves taking wickets, bowling patiently, concentrating … everything that constitutes Test cricket.
The Indian team, of course, will attempt to do all the same things. But unless they have secretly updated their preparation techniques, they will find that, as in every other aspect of the game (one-day and five- day) they will take to the field with a significant disadvantage already in place.