Pollock says he got it wrong at the Wanderers

Peter Robinson

October 6, 2001

Shaun Pollock got it wrong at the Wanderers on Friday night, but it was an error of judgement which was not to prove costly as South Africa opened the Standard Bank One-Day International with a six-wicket win over India.

Pollock acknowledged afterwards that he had misread the pitch after winning the toss and asking India to bat first. "I thought it would bounce more," he said, "but it turned out to be a beautiful batting wicket. If I'd known to play we probably wouldn't have fielded first and we probably wouldn't have gone in with six seamers."

As it happened the attacks of both teams were somewhat less than effective as the pitch produced three centuries, a massive 193-run opening stand between Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar and record totals for the ground from both teams.

At the end of it, though, Pollock was able to savour victory while the Indians could only reflect on bowling performance that lacked discipline, both coach John Wright and Ganguly expressing disappointment that India had not managed to defend a target of 280.

It had been anticipated that this triangular tournament, particularly those matches featuring South Africa and India, would provide for a feast of batting. This was underlined on Friday, but the early evidence is that the tighter lines bowled by South Africa couple with the sharper fielding of the home team could give them a critical advantage.

At the same time, though, neither South Africa not India look likely to bowl each other out inside 50 overs just at the moment. India's front-line bowlers were taken apart inside the first 15 overs on Friday as Gary Kirsten and Herschelle Gibbs took South Africa to 101 before the fielding restrictions were lifted. The tourists employed only four specialist bowlers on Friday and on South African pitches they may find that employing Ganguly and Tendulkar as the fifth bowler serves only to ease any pressure that has been built up on the batting team.

South Africa, too, lacked penetration on Friday, with six right-arm, over-the-wicket seamers offering a similarity of fare that trouble neither Ganguly nor Tendulkar. Two of the obvious improvements that South Africa might consider are still hors de combat: Allan Donald pulled out of a provincial fixture on Friday with a stomach strain while Mfuneko Ngam was yanked out of the South African A team which played India in Benoni last Wednesday.

Indeed, Ngam's withdrawal prompted an exchange of opinions between the South African physiotherapist, Craig Smith, and Rushdie Magiet, the convener of selectors, Smith claiming that the medical staff who have overseen Ngam's rehabilitation after a shoulder injury were not consulted about his selection.

South Africa have the left-arm spinner Claude Henderson in their squad and he is almost certain to play in the second match of the tournament against Kenya in Benoni on Sunday, but the home team will also be looking towards the return of another left-arm spinner, Nicky Boje, who is also trying to prove his fitness after a shoulder operation.

Boje is comfortably the better batsman - going in at three against New Zealand last summer with scores of 105 not out, 64 and 129 - and will clearly be the first-choice one-day spinner when he returns.

In the meantime, India have until Wednesday when they again face South Africa at Centurion Park with its fast, bouncy pitch to work out their options.

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Players/Umpires

Shaun Pollock

Series/Tournaments

India tour of South Africa

Standard Bank Triangular Tournament

Teams

India

Kenya

South Africa

Grounds

The Wanderers Stadium