Centurion, Day 3, Close
Sunday, November 25, 2001

India's perennial problem of getting rid of the tail was seen yet again today. But it's not so much a criticism of the Indian bowlers as the fact that back home the wickets are spinner-friendly in the extreme and most Nos 9, 10 and 11 in domestic cricket do not fancy hanging around. Their wickets are thus often gifted away. We just don't have the kind of skills to get rid of tenacious tailenders when the pitch has little to offer the bowlers. The Pakistanis are masters at polishing off the tail, an art which India have failed to develop.

Shaun Pollock made merry under the circumstances and helped himself to another hundred, even if wasn't a Test one, as the Indians wilted under the onslaught towards the end of the day.

Mercy came from the rain-gods and captain Rahul Dravid will be hoping for further blessings from the heavens and that tomorrow's play is washed out, allowing his team to save a match which otherwise looks very much in South Africa's pocket.

I have to make an observation that is a possible indication of things to come. While South Africa may have done a few things which may not be in keeping with the International Cricket Council's code of conduct, they have been smart to accept the status bestowed upon the match by the apex body. Not only have they emphatically maintained that this is an unofficial Test but they have also gone about playing the game with the demoted status in mind. By doing so they have given India a strong hint about where their loyalties lie when it comes to the crunch.

Sanjay Manjrekar, mainstay of the Indian batting in the late '80s and early '90s, was talking to H Natarajan
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