SA batsman hopes fightback in first Test will turn momentum in their favour
They settled for a draw after coming within sniffing distance of a memorable victory against India but South African batsman Faf du Plessis said his team was satisfied with the end result in the thrilling opening Test here.
Du Plessis’ superb knock of 134 runs and his 205-run partnership with AB de Villiers set South Africa up for a world record win but they fell short by eight runs while chasing a 458-tun target, settling for a dramatic draw on Sunday. “This morning a lot of people wrote us off and the character that we have shown to pull this off, I am very satisfied with the result,” he said.
His third Test hundred came in the post-tea session, when South Africa set themselves up for the win. But then AB de Villiers got out and du Plessis himself was run-out, changing the complexion of the game. “I was batting very well until the hundred, but then emotion took over me. There was a lot of work to be done and we would have liked to win the game and be part of the best Test match ever.
“But I am very satisfied. We did something similar in Australia and then we turned the momentum around, so we can hope for the same here,” du Plessis said.
He was referring to the Proteas’ 2012-13 tour of Australia, where they saved the Test in Adelaide thanks to his hundred scored over four and a half sessions. later, at Perth, they defeated Australia. “We drew a lot of experience from that Adelaide game. I batted for a long time there and then I realised that I could actually bat for so long in a Test match. Obviously, the conditions there were different.
“In Australia, the ball doesn’t seam as much and this pitch was harder. I wanted to see through the new ball, that was vital for us and I am happy we were able to do that and set ourselves up in the final session,” he said.
Thanks to their fifth wicket partnership, South Africa did not lose a wicket in the second session of the day and as a result they were very well placed for a win in the third session. But India did not give up and the end was perhaps a fair result for both sides.
“It was tough in the middle. With AB, I got some momentum and we wanted to bat until the last ten overs and then see what we could do. But he got out and then JP (Duminy) got out, and I decided to stay on till the end.
“India bowled well and fielded very well. They had two chances for a direct hit and they got run-outs for both. Then Vernon Philander was batting well and I didn’t give any advice to Dale Steyn. It was upto them in the middle,” he said.
“I would have liked to cross the finish line myself, having come so close. So that was disappointing from the team’s point of view.”
Du Plessis said he felt very satisfied with his personal showing in the match. “From a personal point of view, I am very happy with what I achieved. I liked batting up the order. Jacques Kallis will not be bowling 25 overs every innings so I need to enjoy my chance. I was disappointed to not be included in the one-day squad, so may be this innings will get me back in the reckoning,” du Plessis signed off.
Wessels lauds India for ‘brilliant’ Jo’burg show
Hailing the technique and mental approach of the Indian batsmen in the first Test, former South African captain Kepler Wessels said the visitors are expected to continue their “brilliant” show in the second match, starting Thursday in Durban.
“They were brilliant, just brilliant in the first Test. There was a lot of talk before the series and both the Indian batsmen and bowlers were able to top that in this match with their performance on the field,” Wessels, who also played ODI cricket for Australia, said.
He was referring to ‘scared’ and ‘scarred’, two terms often used in the build-up to this Test series by the Proteas, in particular by their limited-overs captain AB de Villiers and their premier fast bowler Dale Steyn during the preceding three-match ODI series. In particular, Virat Kohli was the target for the latter, having been bruised by a Morne Morkel delivery in the first ODI, also at Johannesburg. Kohli then replied with 215 runs in two innings, scoring 119 and 96 respectively. His positive attitude perhaps rubbed off on the other batsmen as well, with Cheteshwar Pujara scoring 153 runs in the second innings.
“The technique displayed by the Indian batsmen was just brilliant. They were excellent. leaving the ball was a key feature of their innings. Their mental approach in building the innings and the way almost all of them went about constructing the innings, on both occasions, was quite something,” said Wessels.
Both sides were in a winning position at different moments on day five. It was a Test match that went through more ups and downs than a roller-coaster ride.