CHENNAI, India, 27 March 2008 — South Africa opener Neil McKenzie fell six runs short of posting successive Test centuries and Hashim Amla compiled an unbeaten 85 yesterday as the tourists dominated the opening day of the first Test against India.
Amla’s sedate knock followed an imposing opening stand of 132 between McKenzie (94) and skipper Graeme Smith (73) that powered South Africa to 304-4 at stumps, on a placid pitch offering little assistance to the bowlers.
Batting first after winning the toss, South Africa overcame the challenge of Indian spin, along with intense heat and humidity. The temperature was touching 32 degrees Celsius (90 F) and the relative humidity was measured at 74 percent.
Amla struck 10 boundaries off 159 deliveries, and was closing in on a fourth century from 23 Tests.
Amla witnessed the departure of seasoned batsmen Jacques Kallis (13) and vice captain Ashwell Prince (23) in the day’s final session, with A.B. de Villiers (10 not out) the other not out batsman at the close.
Smith and McKenzie continued the run-amassing form of their previous Test in Bangladesh, where they put on a world record 415 for the opening wicket that eclipsed a five-decade old record set by India’s Pankaj Roy and Vinoo Mankad.
McKenzie, who posted 226 during the record-shattering partnership, struck 18 boundaries off 156 deliveries yesterday to sustain his resounding comeback after a four-year absence from South Africa’s national squad. “The pitch had a lot more bounce that one expected from a subcontinental track, and I really enjoyed myself today,” said McKenzie.
“Opening was the only slot available for me on this trip to the subcontinent, but then an opener’s position is the ideal one for subcontinental tracks as the ball comes on quite well,” said McKenzie, asserting that Test matches “in Bangladesh were a watershed for me.”
The opening stand was broken by leg-spinner Anil Kumble when Smith played an uppish on-drive to V.V.S. Laxman at short mid-on. Smith’s 157-ball knock featured 13 boundaries.
McKenzie was looking good for his fourth test century in 45 Tests when he nicked off-spinner Harbhajan Singh into the hands of lone slip Rahul Dravid.
McKenzie said missing a test century was “a big disappointment, but I would have gladly taken 90 if someone had mentioned it in the morning.”
Kallis fell to a sharp tweak from Harbhajan Singh (2-92), snapped by Wasim Jaffer at short-leg, while Prince offered a return catch to Kumble (2-61). McKenzie said South Africa would look to strengthen its position by adding at least 150 more runs today, while Indian spinner Singh said wayward attack cost the home side dear on the opening day.
“It was difficult to dismiss the South African batsmen, but we allowed them to dominate by conceding too many boundaries in the morning session,” Singh said.
Gavaskar to Give Views on
Twin Role Dispute in May
In Mumbai, India’s Sunil Gavaskar will give his views in May on an apparent conflict of interest between his roles as a cricket committee head and a paid media pundit, the International Cricket Council said yesterday.
The ICC had summoned ex-India captain Gavaskar, 58, to explain the controversy and ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed met him at the governing body’s Dubai headquarters yesterday. “It was agreed that Sunil will convey his views to the ICC having chaired the upcoming meeting of the ICC cricket committee,” the ICC said in a statement.
“The ICC board will review the matter at its next meeting, during ICC annual conference week.” The cricket committee is scheduled to meet on May 5 and 6 while the annual conference week will take place from June 29 to July 4. “The meeting followed discussions by the ICC board last week concerning the potential for a conflict of interest for a person chairing the cricket committee while, at the same time, working for a media outlet,” the statement said.
Gavaskar, a popular television commentator, described England and Australia as “dinosaurs, still trying to voice their prejudiced opinions in the media, and may not open their eyes and see the reality” in a syndicated column at the weekend.
A report in British newspaper The Times’ online edition on Tuesday said Gavaskar would be asked to step down as ICC cricket committee chairman.
The report said Gavaskar, a controversial figure since his retirement, was defending his criticism of match referee Mike Procter, after he had ruled against India’s Harbhajan Singh for alleged racial abuse of Andrew Symonds in January’s Sydney Test.
Gavaskar had reportedly claimed that white South African match referee Procter was biased against Indian players because of their skin color.
Procter’s ruling was subsequently overruled by the appeals commissioner.
