South Africa were better prepared for the battle

There was brilliant sunshine when India took on South Africa at the New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg on an October Friday afternoon. South Africa is a tough side to beat and to topple them at home is never an easy task. The last time these two teams met in an ODI was in the semi final of the ICC KnockOut Tournament at Nairobi; A masterly 141 by Sourav Ganguly ensuring that the South Africans were thrashed by 95 runs.

South Africans must have been smarting from the loss in Nairobi and India had a problem to deal with, finding a fit eleven. The Indian skipper is a key player and he made the right decision to play himself, despite having injured himself in a warm up game. Shaun Pollock's decision to put Indians to bat first was a surprising decision. This was the first match of the tri-series and the South African skipper must have decided to give his fast bowlers a chance to have a go at the Indian batsmen first up.

The first over was a pertinent indicator that Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar meant business. The very first ball of the match was dispatched for a four through cover point by Ganguly, the sheer timing and the lightning fast outfield suggesting that there were a lot of runs to be scored by the end of the match. Ganguly's all-round stroke play and Tendulkar's mastery must have put the doubts back in to the mind of Pollock about his decision to bowl first on a wicket, which was a beauty made for batting. The two master batsmen dominated with their aggressive strokeplay and went on to show that the highly rated South African fielding can also wilt under pressure.

Tendulkar and Ganguly made most of the dropped catches and went on to reach their well deserved hundreds. Even though he has been out of international cricket for the last three months due to an injured toe, Tendulkar once again proved that he is a genius and in a class of his own.

Ganguly's aggressive batting and the supreme form he displayed should silence his critics. I only hope that Ganguly continues in this rich vein, as it will do a great deal of good for Indian cricket. In my opinion he is the best man to partner Tendulkar at the top of the Indian innings.

Unfortunately, the Indian team has a habit of losing their way after an excellent start. It was an appalling sight to see the Indians unable to cash in on the good work done by the openers. I am surprised by the so-called experienced Indian batting, which looks very brittle in the middle. The cricket lovers in India must be wondering whether we are only tigers against lesser opponents who turn tail when up against better teams.

South Africans, for their part, played like thoroughbred professionals with a clear game plan. They showed a lot of character and determination in chasing a big total. The remarkable thing is that there was only one player who got a hundred, Gary Kirsten. The South Africans though were never in trouble and they exposed the limitations of the Indian attack.

Having said that, I have to comment on Anil Kumble who was making a comeback after a long lay off. Kumble was not in his elements, failing to find the right line and length. He must get his act together to be a strike bowler. After seeing him bowl at the Wanderers, I wonder whether his long absence from the game has taken a toll on him. Only good performances in the following matches will set things right for Kumble.

The first ODI should be a good lesson for the Indian management, to review their game plan and even deliberate on the team composition, if they have to give the South Africans a good fight during the rest of the tour.