The 'Puzzle' Called South Africa

While cricket is buzzing with the Tri-Series here is an interesting piece on cricket in the international arena. And the focus is on team South Africa. iSporter Issac John shares an interesting angle on the South African team, it's contribution to cricket and an insightful analysis on their journey in this sport.

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Ever since their re-entry into international cricket in 1992, South Africa have always found themselves in only one position as far as their ranking in world cricket is concerned. That, of being the one team that's most likely to dominate world cricket but always falling short. With a pattern almost eerily duplicated in both the limited-overs format and tests, they’ve not flinched one bit from their tag of being the perennial under-achievers! So while in the last decade, India did step on the pedal to threaten the Aussies, South Africa consistently continued to be the puzzle in international cricket, that doesn’t solve itself to win the big matches.

While their record quite justifies their choker tag in the ODI’s, in the last 18 years, what’s surprising is that not enough has been achieved on the test front either. It’s true they’ve been knocking at the #1 test ranking slot often and albeit briefly did become #1, it’s fair to say they’ve only flirted with that slot but not quite made it their own!

To give it a perspective, since 1992, 2 comparatively weaker teams – New Zealand and West Indies have also bagged a Champions Trophy which is the only major silverware that South Africa has won as well. Since then in tests, India and Sri Lanka improved tremendously on their records and England won two historic Ashes series. Two of South Africa’s major achievements in the intervening period would be their feat of beating all subcontinent teams away from home and wresting the #1 spot from Australia in an away series. That series victory in Australia was a big one! It was riveting stuff from the moment Hayden faced Ntini in the first over till the time the series ended with Graeme Smith coming out to bat with a broken hand to save a test match. I remember the entire office staying glued to the screen to what was a neutral match played on foreign soil! The drama was unbeatable and so was Australia at home- until that series that is.

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South Africa became the first team to defeat Australia at home in 16 years. Now, that was unheard of for our generation of cricket lovers! What followed though, less than two months later, knocked some of that sheen off. Australia traveled to South Africa with a depleted bowling attack comprising of Johnson, Hilfenhaus, McDonald, Siddle and North and won the first two test matches and the series convincingly. That quick reversal is the typical South African way of playing cricket– the inexplicable failure to deliver the final knockout blow even when everything seems to be going their way.

South African team has always had a solid batting lineup and very good all-rounders all throughout. They nurture leaders. Smith took to captaincy like a duck to water. They field the best and their keeper doesn’t miss anything and wins matches for them. Their pace attack is not the most lethal but always dependable. A spinner is the only chink, if at all but it must be something more than a spinner that inhibits them from winning the big matches. At least, South Africa matched Australia in the ’08-’09 season. Back in 2006, when cricket fans were salivating to the prospect of 6 consecutive tests between the same foes, the result was quite anti-climactic. South Africa began well with a creditable draw at Perth comfortably keeping McGrath, Lee, Warne and Bracken at bay for 126 overs. The start was just right. And then we were subjected to an avalanche of Aussie dominance over the next 5 tests. They blanked South Africa 5-0, 3 of the last tests on South African soil.

Maybe, this was history’s way to even out things. Between 1966 and 1970, South Africa met Australia 9 times in tests, with South Africa literally toying with Australia and decimating them in 7 of those tests. But, my sense is the debacle in ’05-’06 was more to do with South Africa being in the weak mental zone that they so often find themselves in. Uncannily, the current series against England, is again catching the Springboks on the wrong foot or rather in the wrong mind. What could’ve so easily been a 2-1 result in favor of South Africa reads 1-0 in favor of England. England were undoubtedly on a high coming into this series after their victories over West Indies and Australia. But man-to-man, one would have to say, South Africa should’ve dominated this series!

History though demands a pivotal moment for teams to take a leap. For Sri Lanka it was the World Cup and for India it was the Kolkata test. Both teams have never been the same since those wins. South Africa too, had their epochal test against Australia at Perth in December, 2008, when they chased an astounding 414 runs in the fourth innings. It didn’t serve them too far ahead. It does look like South Africa need another moment in history immediately to remind themselves what they’re really capable of. And if the upcoming Johannesburg test becomes that one moment, we will have one hell of a series to look forward to in February!