Playing like champions

It’s not easy for a home team to bounce back after receiving a drubbing from the visiting side, especially when the losing side is ranked number one in the Test arena. M.S.Dhoni for the first time in the tenure of his captaincy featured on the lost to column of the scorecard.

The second Test in Kolkata is baptism by fire for Team India. It will test their mettle against a South African side that is just a draw away from usurping India’s top Test spot. Adrenaline rush in expectation of a rare series victory in India at Nagpur. should be enough to motivate a spirited South African side. Pundits are anticipating a repetition of Dale Steyn’s heroics.

The South Africans started off valiantly after the loss of their captain Graeme Smith to his nemesis, Zaheer Khan. Smith has become Khan’s bunny. His inability to cope with the incoming delivery is a chink in his armour, and Khan has inevitably gnawed at this open wound.

Hashim Amla is possibly among the most under-rated players in international cricket today. His no-fuss cricket attracts very little attention, but his scores are antithetical to his method of play. He along with debutant Alviro Petersen steadied the innings, both going on to score centuries. India at this juncture of the match was tactically nudged out of the series, until Zaheer Khan used his years of experience to pull his team out the sink hole.

The beauty of Test cricket was laid bare on the first day of the Test match here in Kolkata. The game changed hands in a matter of 30 minutes. India’s grit and ability to display calm under stress should go a long way in pumping up the morale of the team after its despicable performance in Nagpur. With Harbhajan Singh on song, India made things easy for itself and wrapped up the South African innings at 296.

What God giveth, India nearly gifted it away! After an exceptional performance with the ball, India started the batting session reasonably with Sehwag plundering the Springbok attack. Steyn gave away 30 runs off his first five overs. Gautam Gambir’s run out and Murli Vijay’s brief stay at the wicket made sure the pressure was as usual on Tendulkar. And he did what all champions do well… rise to the occasion. His has scored four hundreds in four consecutive Test matches, this one in Kolkata being only his second at this venue and 47^th overall. He parlayed Sehwag's aggression to build an innings suited to balance the immediate need to consolidate and avoid a batting collapse.

The fall of Sehwag’s and Tendulkar’s wickets within an over of each other must have set the cat among the pigeons in the Indian side. But there is something special about Laxman at Eden Gardens. He is a super-hero outside the Justice League and his supreme ability is to undig the hole India digs for itself at this game park time and again. His class and style mesmerize the crowds and opposition alike. His boyhood idol,Mohammed Azharuddin must be proud to watch a fellow stylist and Hyderabadi perform majestically in his beloved Eden GardensDhoni’s capable and mature support, India have posted a competitive total of 631 with an hour and half of play still remaining. And with

The Indian team is fortunate to have a good leader in Dhoni during tough situations and his century is the perfect way to lead by example. India still has a chance to level the series, which should be their prime motive; else a draw is as good as a loss.

The Indian team has once before famously won a match at the same venue against an invincible Aussie side. Now there is an encore.