Cricketer – Rohit-Sharma
As the test cricket lived its hype, it was now time for the teams to change colors. T20 action was all set to take place in the Moses Mabhida Stadium that hosted the FIFA World Cup few months before did not deprive from the audience of what they expected. 50,000 tickets were sold before the action started. This meant the stadium was houseful and was ready to celebrate it 150th anniversary of the Indian settler arriving in South Africa in style.
It was complete professional performance by the Indians just after they were picked by the franchises at healthy rates on Saturday. Chasing a target of 168, the South Africans had got a bad start as the consistent Amla was bowled for 1. South Africa kept losing wickets at regular intervals even though van Wyk demonstrated a typical T20 batting, proving the franchises wrong for leaving him unpicked. AB de Villiers and Morne van Wyk did have the Indians worried before Raina picked up a wavered throw from Nehra and hit the stumps with a sharp throw, from a place where one stump was alone visible. de Villiers was dismissed and India got all the motivation they wanted. JP Duminy was trapped in front by Yuvraj who was handy with the ball with figures 4-0-20-1. India never looked back from there. That’s how good fielding can lift the spirits of the side.
Earlier, Vijay departed after a promising start. Virat Kohli once again justified why he was the only player retained by the Royal Challengers. Driving and using the wrists to perfection he kept the Proteas at bay for sometime. A well bowled short pitched delivery from Botha dismissed Kohli at 28 but India had already got the kind of start they wanted then.
Rohit was fluent in his knock of 53 with the flick of Ntini being the cornerstone of his knock. Runs dried after the dismissal of Rohit as the South Africa bowling, led by its skipper Johan Botha, took control of the middle overs for sometime. Yuvraj’s blind running cost him his wicket just when he was looking good. He had abandoned all thoughts of checking if his partner was responding and the throw at the non-striker end meant Peterson would take the bails off.
Raina, as brisk as ever, came in at 6 once again in a tricky position. Pathan was never middling the ball and timing it and was dismissed trying to a play a horizontal shot in a track that abstained him from doing so. Raina chose the way he always does, went for it and scored a much needed 22 ball 41 which included 2 sixes over his favorite mid-wicket region and one over the covers.
Ntini ended his career 4-0-46-0, a figures that didn’t reveal the kid of player he was. Nevertheless he got a deserved standing ovation from the crowd. Ntini probably was not finished yet and hence returned back at No.11. The crowd was all cheers for the wonderful cricketer as he scored a single of the last but delivery. But then, result of the game was unlikely to change as India won the game by 21 runs.
Tags: IND, India, Makhaya Ntini, Moses Mabhida Stadium, Proteas, Rohit Sharma, SA, South Africa, T20 Cricket
