NEW DELHI: Breaking the pattern and one-sided tedium of this series, South Africa gave a staunch demonstration of stickability. In the previous six innings of this series, they had batted in excess of 70 overs just once, in the second innings of the Nagpur Test. On Sunday, they batted for 72 overs, scoring as many runs for just two wickets and breaking records on turgid batting en route, to set up an interesting fifth day.
When India set them 481 to knock off from a minimum of 158 overs, after Ajinkya Rahane completed his second century of the match, they had two options. Either to pursue, and most likely perish, in pursuit of hunting down the target or bat for life to save the Test. Either result would have made them proud, and few sides have shown the capacity on either front like them. To their name is the second highest successful run chase in Test history, while they came tantalisingly close to scripting the highest-ever chase against India in Johannesburg the year before.
In Sri Lanka last year, they batted, and battled, 111 overs to save the Colombo Test. Three years ago, they negotiated 148 overs to salvage a draw. Both turned out to be series-winning efforts. There won’t be any such consolation here, even if they survive the whole of fifth day, but they could at least board their flight back home with a huge amount of relief and tinge of pride restored.
When they lost Dean Elgar in the fourth over, and Ravichandran Ashwin looking as menacing with his guileful trickery as he had been throughout the series, it seemed South Africa would fold up in a matter of time. The last innings of a lost series is by all means an exercise in futility. But South African batsmen, hitherto impetuous, impatient and inexcusably fragile, exceeded their reservoirs of patience and skills in a glorious effort that makes Test cricket as alluring as charming.
For the first time in the series, they showed remarkable clarity. They nursed no hopes of winning the Test. They just wanted to bat time, and went about the task with supreme efficiency and stodginess. They, including the masterful AB de Villiers, shelved aggression and embraced full-throttle defence. They collectively blunted and doused the enterprise and persistence of Ashwin and Co.
It began with young Temba Bavuma and Hashim Amla stitching together the fourth slowest partnership in Tests (which has exceeded 175 balls), their 44-partnership soaking 38.4 overs. Amla and De Villiers bettered the effort, scoring 23 runs at a slower-than-snail pace of .78 an over, the slowest ever partnership in Test cricket. Amla, unbeaten on 23 off 207 balls, now owns the slowest innings of anyone who has faced more than 200 balls.
That it came against a concertedly probing effort from the Indian bowlers further glorifies them. In the end, their batsmen were as exasperated as the Indian bowlers. Suffice it to say that it caught the Indian bowlers off-guard. “Yes it’s a surprise as we did not think that they would play like this. The way they are defending is a surprise and they are not even trying to play a shot. Even deliveries they can score are being defended,” reckoned Umesh Yadav.
stat of the art
43
Number of maiden overs bowled by Indian bowlers on Sunday, out of the 72 that SA faced
What began as mere irritation soon gave away to desperation for the bowlers. “It becomes a challenge when batsmen do not play a shot as chances of getting a player out decreases. When a batsman does not take any initiative then even if you bowl a good delivery, he will just block it out. This kind of cricket can be boring, because you just are bowling over after over and nothing is happening,” he said.
Into the fifth day for the first time in this series, it could be as much as a test of South African batsmen’s patience as Indian bowlers’ persistence.