da casino： A first series win in the subcontinent in many years, as Australia andEngland will tell anyone who listens, is a special thing
Osman Samiuddin in Lahore12-Oct-2007
Graeme Smith: rare subcontinental silverware © Getty Images
A first series win in the subcontinent in many years, as Australia andEngland will tell anyone who listens, is a special thing. South Africa’srecord in the subcontinent is not one to be scoffed at, but most of theirbest results came before 2000. Since then, famously, they had not won aTest series against any of the big daddies of the region, Pakistan, India and SriLanka.So to do so in Pakistan, in such convincing fashion, understandablybrought a grin to Graeme Smith’s face. Not even a draw today, a situationin which they were favourites, could wipe it. Mind you, the grin hasn’tstrayed far from his face through much of the tour so far and why shouldit?”I was saying to the boys after play that on the flight over, if someonehad said to me we’d probably control nine days out of ten, I wouldn’t havebelieved him,” Smith admitted. “The style of cricket we played, the way weexecuted our plans, the way we have been able to put Pakistan underpressure has been surprising and very exciting for our future in Tests.”If anything the wicket got a little slower as the game went on, which made getting wickets tougher. When you play as well as we have there comes a time in the day’s play when you cut your losses and secure the win. We did what we had to do. In a two-Test series to win 1-0, that’s a fantasticeffort.”Jacques Kallis did more fantastically than most to bring about the result.Three centuries, over 400 runs and an average of 210.5 aretypically Kallis-ian series figures, but in the subcontinent, they take onextra significance. Key wickets and a stunning slip catch or two made theMan-of-the-Series award the most predictable since ‘Titanic’ swept theOscars.”As a series win it’s right up there,” said Kallis. “It’s never easytouring here and beating a subcontinent side. I certainly haven’t done it too many times. So as far as toughness of series is concerned, it’s right up there.” As a series win it’s right up there. It’s never easytouring here and beating a subcontinent side Man of the Series, Jacques KallisKallis’s role in neutralising Pakistan’s spinners was vital too. ThoughDanish Kaneria and Abdur Rehman took 21 wickets between them, they came atsuch cost and interval, so as to be ultimately irrelevant. “I thinkconsistently, in our home series against Pakistan and India last year onturning wickets, we played spin well and we played it well here,” Smith said. “Wesurprised a few people with the way we played.”Monumental as Kallis was, South Africa had many heroes. Most of the top-order scored some runs, including – to much relief no doubt – Smith himself. Andre Nel and Dale Steyn made up for a strangely out-of-sync Makhaya Ntini, and then there was Paul Harris.Has there been a series performance as promising as this by a SouthAfrican spinner in recent years? Not many people would have put money onHarris ending up leading wicket-taker in the series ahead of Pakistan’sown spinners, but 12 wickets and an economy-rate under two runs an overwere crucial.”Harris is a huge plus,” said Smith. “Not only has he picked up wicketsbut he has allowed us control and allowed us to experiment with one or twothings at the other end, to take a couple of risks. He joined the teamlast year and this, on his first subcontinent trip, is a huge plus for us.”Obviously there have been some fantastic individual performances but as awhole our team has performed very well, stood solid, strong. Everyone knewtheir role and performed it very well throughout.”Only the ODIs remain in Pakistan now, but South Africa have passed thefirst tough test of a tough season. Celebrations tonight, but work beginsagain on Monday. “Tonight we are going to enjoy the Test series. We have afew tough challenges this year. Pakistan was our first. India, England andAustralia are still to come, but we have achieved our first target.” Infine style too.