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Looking Back: India Vs South Africa 1996/97, 2nd
Test at Kolkata |
- Pradeep Ramarathnam
 Romeo
and Juliet, Heer and Ranjha, Fred Astaire and
Ginger Rogers, Dharmender and Hema Malini,
Mohammad Azharuddin and Eden Gardens. Some
Relationships are just legendary, part of
folklore. The Kolkata test of 96, almost exactly
eight years from today, is remembered strangely
not so much for South Africa’s thumping win but
for Azhar strengthening the umbilical cord with
his favorite battleground.
The moment Cronje won the
toss and elected to bat, things went downhill
for India. Andrew Hudson and Gary Kirsten come
closest to cricket’s version of Butch Cassidy
and the Sundance Kid. Hudson who was let off
twice on nought and four decided to thank the
hosts by settling in comfortably. The Indian
fielders, like faithful domestic helps, politely
ran their errands of picking up the ball from
the boundary. Hudson’s vintage cover drives were
a flashback to his 163 on debut against Walsh,
Ambrose and Marshall. Gary Kirsten, the
quintessential Working Class Hero, ground his
way to 102, to add to Hudson’s 146. Two sessions
into the first day and the Indians were staring
down the barrel.
Thankfully, Venkatesh
Prasad chose the second day to show that the
Indian new ball attack was a far cry from the
days of Solkar and Pataudi opening the bowling.
With Fizzing leg cutters prompting whispers of
Dennis Lille, Prasad ran through the middle
order to finish with six for 104. Herschelle
Gibbs, making his debut in the same test with
Lance Klusener made 31. With 428 runs behing
them, Donald and co ran in hard. However, the
stolid Nayan Mongia and eternal factotum Rahul
Dravid gusted it out for 35 and 31 each before
the burly Brian McMillan triggered the slide by
knocking over Dravid and one drop Saurav Ganguly.
In between Herschelle Gibbs replacing Jonty
Rhodes, fired in a direct hit from point to
dismiss Mongia. An Allan Donald Special then hit
the middle stump with such arrogance as if
Sachin Tendulkar’s famed rock solid defense
never existed. Laxman followed suit and at 152/6
the cream of Indian batting was back in the
pavilion.
 Enter
the hero, Mohammad Azharuddin, braving injury
and all to rescue his beloved Eden from getting
its modesty outraged by the Protean ‘Villians’.
With Kumble in tow, Azhar unleashed an innings
of ravishing beauty and brilliance that those
who saw can never forget. Seldom has pristine
elegance and brute force been married in such
perfect harmony. Azhar’s former Derbyshire
captain Kim Barnett once remarked “Bowling at
Azhar is like bowling at a revolving door” His
statement lay vindicated as the SA attack lay in
tatters during Azhar’s 161 run stand with Kumble.
Eighty thousand spectators got their money’s
worth as Azhar obliged with a 74 ball ton, laced
with 18 scorching boundaries. Kumble along with
Azhar made his test highest of 88. The innings
folded rapidly after these two fell and by close
on day 3, Kirsten had already extended the lead
to 99.
On Day 4, Cullinan joined
Kirsten in the party and stitched together a
neat 153. Kirsten walked away with a 100 in each
innings, run out (Sunil Joshi’s only
contribution in the match). Chasing 467 for an
improbable win, the Indians collapsed for 137 to
one man’s gale force. And Allan Donald didn’t
bowl in this innings.
 Lance
Klusener, wide eyed, prickly haired and on his
first tour, bowled darting off cutters and leg
cutters and banged the ball on the seam for all
of his 21.3 overs. With his menacing ‘Big Moose’
Appearance, Klusener dismissed no less than 8
Indian batsmen to herald the arrival of the next
South African Superstars. The loss of Mike
Procter and most of Adrian Kuiper’s heydays to
the apartheid era had always been a sore point.
Klusener provided the first glimpse of being
able to fill those boots. Azhar as usual kept
his word with a blistering 52 before throwing
his wicket away with a lazy flash outside off.
Gary Kirsten was rightly
adjudged Man of the Match and the Indians were
left wondering if dusty tractor tracks and
minefields were the only way they could win at
home.
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