Gibbs does it again for the Proteas

By G. Viswanath

PORT ELIZABETH, NOV. 16. The game of cricket can be thrilling and keeps one guessing all the time such as India's comeback in the last half an hour when Javagal Srinath and Ajit Agarkar picked up a wicket each of the second new ball.

But one thing that can be predicted in the Summer Spice cricket series here is Herschelle Gibbs hammering the Indian bowlers and ending up with a three-figure knock. Gibbs proved to be a thorn in the flesh of the Indians in the second of the Castle Lager/MTN Test series that began at the St. George's Park on Friday.

In conditions that showed bias to the practioners of swing and seam bowling, right through the 92 overs bowled in the day, Gibbs demonstrated adequate wherewithal to score a superlative and second successive century against the Indians.

South Africa's first innings revolved around this dapper right hander, Gibbs, whose undefeated 155 amply stated his contribution to the team score of 237 for 5 wickets. His last boundary of the day, a cracking backfoot cover drive off Ajit Agarkar, was a gem of a shot.

The first day of the Test began with the Indian captain, Sourav Ganguly, making a decision as to who will open the innings.

He had appeared careworn on the eve of the match on Thursday morning, because of the infuriating issue related to finding a proper person to open the innings with Shiv Sundar Das.

Ganguly made up his mind at the team meeting and delegated the task to Deep Dasgupta in the overall interest of the team and also decided to write in the team sheet, both the spinners' names in the eleven, although he had raised some doubts of fielding both Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh while briefing the press in the usual pre-Test conference.

Leaving a spinner who has been India's most successful with regard to the number of wickets he has taken - 280 to be precise - must have been a most awkward thing to do for Ganguly.

Kumble in his comeback Test at the Goodyear Park, Bloemfontein, wheeled away for 50 overs, without much success which actually evoked serious discussion of his being asked to make way for Harbhajan as the only spinner for the Test.

After the Indians found a solution to their problems, Gibbs made it virtually a one man show for South Africa. His fifth century in 32 Tests and the second at home was truly a class act.

The new millennium's first calendar year is still a good one and half month's away before ringing in the new, but what Gibbs has ensured is that he would approach the Yuletide spirit and board the flight to Australia in a most happy frame of mind and his confidence levels boosted by his terrific demonstration of batsmanship in the ongoing season that started for the South African with an away series in Zimbabwe.

There was a remarkable aspect to Gibbs' attitude to batting on the first day of the second Test which has been evidenced in South Africa's series win in the West Indies, though his immediate form (Since January 1) after being suspended from international cricket for six months because of his role in match-fixing, had caused a major concern.

His run count was terminated in low scores five times by the two Sri Lankan left- arm seamers, Chaminda Vaas and Nuwan Zoysa.

But he shrugged off the long sequence of poor scores with a 79 in one of the one-day internationals in Bloemfontein and since, Gibbs has been his country's top drawer batsman, second by a handful of runs to Darryl Cullinan and Jacques Kallis.

Ganguly was not driven by the power of his fast bowlers to rock the South African boat; his decision was pre- determined, the number of fast bowlers being two.

On the face of it, it was a probable move to safeguard against the South African fast bowlers in Shaun Pollock, Mornantau Hayward, Makhaya Ntini and Jacques Kallis exploiting the conditions in their favour on the first day itself. Some how the Indians have the knack of not getting their bowling combination right.

South Africa's set and in form opening pair in Gary Kirsten and Gibbs were quite familiar with the Indian new ball bowlers, but what must be reiterated is that Srinath has been a completely different bowler after the first tri-series match against South Africa nearly six weeks ago.

The Indians, Srinath in particular, got an opportunity to yell an appeal, when Kirsten was hit below the roll of his front pad. A `nick' on the pad might have saved him which is what Zimbabwe's ICC Panel umpire Russell Tiffin gestured to the Indians.

Kirsten did not last long, although he might have got a second `life' had Venkatsai Laxman at second slip not moved behind Virendra Sewag and stretched his left hand to take the catch.

Sehwag had allowed the straightforward, but the shoulder height, catch to bounce over. Laxman, moved in swiftly to aid in the first breakthrough of the morning.

South Africa saw a first wicket going down within the first half hour, but in the course of the next hour the home team also saw Gibbs in full control of the situation.

Gibbs' two early drives off Agarkar in front of square on the off side were quality shots. His trademark shots of rocking back by giving himself that little room became conspicuous. He was the master.

He had struck four boundary shots in the first hour and before the first drinks interval, after which he was in his element taking three 4s in a single over from Ganguly, two racing to the cover boundary and one beating the mid off fielder.

Gibbs personified the South African riposte because even a class batsman like Kallis was kept in check by the Indian bowling, which got a new facet with Harbhajan's inclusion. But it was Srinath who struck before lunch.

He had bowled his first spell of seven overs for 12 runs for the wicket of Kirsten; he began his second spell with the wicket of Kallis, whose hanging bat took the inside edge onto the stumps. The second wicket pair had added 70 runs.

The third wicket came in the form of a busy player like Neil McKenzie stepping out to whip the off-spinner to midwicket. The flashing bat missed the line to hit the timber.

Boetta Dippenaar, under immense pressure from an in form Jacques Rudolph, defended for nearly three hours before Agarkar dismissed him with the second new ball claimed after 84 overs.

It was a good wicket for the Mumbai seamer, making the ball move off the pitch, take the edge for Dasgupta to take a neat, but low catch to his right.

The fourth wicket falling at about 5 p.m. pleased the Indians, but after having invited South Africa to bat, Ganguly still had reasons to be disappointed with his bowlers' showing.

Srinath was an exception, though, dismissing a fifth South African batsman - Lance Klusener. It happened just about at stumps.

Scoreboard

SOUTH AFRICA - 1st innings

H. Gibbs (batting)                 155
(283m, 21x4, 1x6)
G. Kirsten c Laxman b Srinath        4
(26m, 16b)
J. Kallis b Srinath                 24
(86m, 70b, 2x4)
N. McKenzie b Harbhajan             12
(35m, 28b)
B. Dippenaar c Dasgupta b Agarkar   29 

(171m, 138b 4x4)
L. Klusener c Laxman b Srinath       9
(14m, 13b, 4x4)
S.M. Pollock (batting)               0
Extras (lb-1, nb-3)                  4
                                   ---
Total (for 5 wkts.)                237
                                   ---

Fall of wickets: 1-17 (Kirsten); 2-87 (Kallis); 3-116 (McKenzie); 
4-221 (Dippenaar); 5-230 (Klusener).

India  bowling:  Srinath  22-5-51-3;  Agarkar  16-2-61-1   (1nb); 
Ganguly   2-0-21-0  (2nb);  Kumble  22-9-36-0;  Harbhajan   Singh 
30-6-67- 1.

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