Sourav Ganguly and Lance Klusener speak to SUNDAY MiD DAY about another World Cup game in which India wasted a fantastic batting start against SA
Sourav Ganguly and Lance Klusener speak to SUNDAY MiD DAY about another World Cup game in which India wasted a fantastic batting start against SA
History does repeat itself every now and again. The last time India and South Africa squared off in a World Cup match was during the 1999 World Cup, and on that occasion too, India suffered a monumental collapse just like they did here on Saturday.
|
| Lance Klusener of South Africa dismisses India's Sachin Tendulkar during the 1999 World Cup Group A match at Hove, England.
PIC/Getty Images |
South Africa (300-7) beat India (296) by three wickets despite a brilliant hundred from Sachin Tendulkar.
India were set to score a huge total after reaching 267 for one but M S Dhoni's men lost their last nine wickets for 29 runs in nine overs with paceman Steyn finishing with 5-50.
In 1999, at 197-1 in 41 overs, India looked good to post a total in excess of 270, but had to settle for 253-5. South Africa won by four wickets, but it was a great contest.
That game also became popular for South Africa experimenting with a one-way radio system. Captain, the late Hansie Cronje, and senior bowler, Allan Donald, were wired up to coach, the late Bob Woolmer, who sat in the dressing room and dished out some advise. The match referee, Talat Ali, had a word with South Africa's management during the drinks interval, and asked them to stop the experiment.
Sourav Ganguly, who top-scored with 97, said South Africa's attack was a lot superior to the one that bowled India out for 296 here at Jamtha yesterday.
"I have fond memories of that game. It felt good to get a good score against a top-class attack. Rahul (Dravid) and I had a great partnership going in that tournament, and that game was the start of greater things to come. We should have posted more than 250 (253 to be precise), but that South African attack was outstanding. Definitely, that attack had more quality compared to this attack, especially in English conditions.
"Also, those days, 250 was a very competitive total. Our bowlers came out hard, but Jacques Kallis (96) played a great knock... but that game gave us lot of confidence," Ganguly, now a commentator,u00a0 told SUNDAYu00a0 MiD DAY on Saturday.
Lance Klusener, who took 3-66 and later steered the Proteas to victory with three boundaries from four deliveries, said that win began a wonderful journey for his team. "It was a confidence boost for us to beat India - great way to kick-off the tournament. Ganguly played a great knock that day, but our bowlers did well to restrict them. We were the form team of that World Cup," said Klusener. Asked if that Indian batting instilled fear in bowlers' minds like the current one does, 'Zulu' laughed and said: "That batting order didn't have Sehwag. Thank god for that! But there were some class players too. Sachin was in the form of his life, Ganguly, Dravid and Azhar formed a solid middle-order. But, maybe they didn't have sort of explosive batsmen that this team does," he signed off.
