No confusion about extent of Black Caps task

MELBOURN, Nov 7: To the outsider, it may seem incomprehensible that the biggest stories surrounding Australian team selection at the outset of this Test series against New Zealand centre on a man out of the team, rather than the twelve in it.

Considerable confusion could also be said to emanate from the near-total lack of fanfare afforded to the New Zealanders opening four games of the tour.

Yet, from potential mystery, it might actually be said that there comes illumination of where things appear to stand at the outset of this battle.

The hubbub over Michael Slaters recent omission from Australias line-up - and his subsequent inability to reclaim a place - tells at least two pretty important stories in itself.

Not only has it been a rarity for changes to be made to his countrys team over recent years.

But Slaters disappointment also isnt the worst indication that a glut of high-performing batsmen right across Australia are almost queuing up to have the chance to face an attack many commentators are already labelling as suspect.

For the New Zealanders, meanwhile, the low-key start to the tour has presented a pretty good clue that the start to their Australian sojourn has functioned as an exercise in trying to make up for lost time and lost ground.

From the moment that they were forced to abort their trip to Pakistan in September, the exercise of preparing appropriately for a tour of Australia has not been an easy one.

That the early results on tour have been mediocre - and that there now persists an impression that there may not be enough starch in the Black Caps line-up for Australia to be kept at bay - underlines the point.

So, with that background established, do the Black Caps have a genuine chance of victory when attention finally shifts to the real contest tomorrow? On all of the available evidence, its hard to make a case for them.

In facing the worlds champion team, they meet a batting line-up which runs about as deep as the waters of the Pacific Ocean.

Worse still, among a powerful top six for the Australians that also includes the likes of Matthew Hayden, Ricky Ponting and Mark Waugh, only Steve Waugh has failed to feast on domestic bowling attacks so far this summer.

And thats essentially only because a brush with deep vein thrombosis has prevented him from doing so.

Lest the visitors should think it gets any easier from there, a top order that has failed to inspire great confidence in its early form on tour will need to battle the worlds most lethal bowling attack.

Fresh from domination over England in their winter, Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie will again be joined with the new ball.

They have no less willing company to follow them in Brett Lee and Shane Warne.

In terms of results, Australias 2-1 series loss in India last March now represents a gross aberration in the midst of an extraordinary run of success.

In two years, there has not been a single other series draw or defeat.

From 20 other Test matches, 19 have been won.

Its compelling form.

Injuries are not assisting the New Zealanders cause either.

Their leading player, Chris Cairns, has only recently returned from a string of problems.

A general tale of woe has been compounded by lingering trouble for Daniel Vettori and Dion Nash, two other players who have also faced enduring struggles with injury.

Though his potential to shape the series has probably been overstated in some quarters - given that the matches in the series will be played on three surfaces among the least receptive to spin in the country - Vettoris presence on the field is seen as particularly vital to the Black Caps cause.

Recent history, current form, current circumstances, and the home ground advantage therefore all point to Australia when the series commences at the Gabba, and when it moves to Hobart and Perth in the weeks ahead.

Provided Australia doesnt give in to the demon of complacency, the prospect of an upset represents a harder task for the Kiwis than faced the group of New Zealand basketballers who recently squeezed home over their Trans-Tasman rivals in a scrap for a World Championship place.

Or than confronted mare Ethereal this week as it whisked away the holy grail of Australian horse racing - the Melbourne Cup.

Much harder, in fact.

But you never know what you might get with New Zealand.

And it needs to be remembered, too, that the tourists are unlikely to be lacking in motivation.

To New Zealanders across the board, victory over Australia never rests far short of the pinnacle of both enjoyment and achievement.

South Africa take first Test by nine wickets JOHANNESBURG, Nov 7: After three days of wonderfully entertaining cricket in the first Castle Lager/MTN Test match, India folded up on the fourth day as South Africa swept to a nine-wicket victory and, almost certainly, a considerable psychological advantage in the three-match series.

India had just about matched South Africa over the first two days, but the home side took a grip on the game during the third day and on Tuesday they squeezed the life out of the Indians.

From a position of some respectability at 96 for one on the third evening, India lost their last nine wickets for just 141, leaving South Africa 54 to win.

This they did with little difficulty despite losing the wicket of Herschelle Gibbs along the way.

It was an efficient and sometimes exhilarating effort from the South Africans in a Test match that belted along throughout.

The difference between the sides in the end was the fact that whenever the South Africans found themselves in a tight spot, they had the sense and the skill to wriggle out of it.

India, by contrast, finally wilted under the pressure.

The Indians will no doubt point to the absence of Harbhajan Singh as a major handicap, and he was badly missed as South Africa built their first innings total of 563.

At the same time, India shot themselves in the foot by picking two left-arm seamers, Ashish Nehra and Zaheer Khan, neither of whom had bowled a ball in the country.

On a pitch that had bounce and carry and assisted the bowlers prepared to put something into it, Ajit Agarkar was left on the sidelines.

And so the South Africans were able to build a 188-run lead on the first innings, thanks, in no small part, to Lance Kluseners return to form after a very ordinary year.

Kluseners 108 took the game away from the Indians and then Shaun Pollock turned the screws on the Indians during the fourth day.

The South African captain had never taken 10 wickets in a match before this Test, but he had taken four for 91 in the Indian first innings and when the opportunity, or opportunities, presented themselves, he grabbed them.

None of the Indians got going in the second innings.

Or, rather, many of them did, but failed to carry on.

VVS Laxman was caught at slip in the second over of the day for 29.

SS Das was caught at the wicket, slashing wildly at Nantie Hayward in the third over for 62 and then Jacques Kallis struck a crucial blow for South Africa when he had Sachin Tendulkar caught at point.

From there on India were doomed and they knew it.

Makhaya Ntini, who had an indifferent game, produced a snorter of a ball to get Sourav Ganguly caught at the wicket (and, no doubt, ensure that the Indian captain gets any number of balls stuck up his nose every time he goes to the crease in the South Africa) and then Pollock worked his way down the order.

He bowled Virender Sehwag off an inside edge for 31 and, after Nantie Hayward had trapped Anil Kumble leg before, finished off the last three wickets.

There was some biffing and banging around from Nehra and Javagal Srinath as the last wicket pair put on 31, but eventually Neil McKenzie caught Nehra in the deep and Pollock had his 10th wicket.

South Africa lost the wicket of Gibbs early in the quest for 54 runs, but Jacques Kallis joined Gary Kirsten, the captains agreed to forego tea and South Africa took just 59 minutes to wrap up victory.

It was, as Indian coach John Wright conceded, an impressive effort from the South Africans.

"Theyre a very good team," he said, adding that, "since the first day weve been outplayed.

We didnt put on enough runs on the second morning." "Today was a disappointing batting performance," he said.

"If you lose nine wickets in a day, youre not going to win many matches that way." About us | Advertisers | Other Publications | Subscriptions | Advertising Weather | Letters | Search | Suggestions | Send Mail | Vaishnodevi ________________________________________________________ (c) 1998, The Kashmir Times Press Pvt.

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