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3rd Test: Australia wins Sydney Test (scorecard), South Africa won Test Series 2-1.. T20 & ODI series follows.
Current Cricket Series : South Africa vs Australia, West Indies vs New Zealand. Coming Up : India in NZ 2009.

Sourav Ganguly's 83 redirect India : SA-A Practise match.


I suggest every true Indian cricket fan to not to smile when I tell you the following... because just a 83 from comeback horse Sourav Ganguly is not going to change our fortunes.

We Indian cricket fans have also been guilty of throwing someone to our heads even with smallest of impressions they make. And then cry for them to be sacked.

The story against "Rest of South Africa" or South Africa A as you may know, started in the same usual with Wasim Jaffer and Virendra Sehwag opening the innings in the 4 day Practise match at Potchefstroom.

And then got lbw and bowled respectively. Captain VVS Laxman came at no.3 and perished after showing some glimpse of his ability to play fast bowling. He made 23 off 61. But in the mean time, Sachin Tendulkar had again found a way to get out - caught in the slips for 10.
Dada on comeback trail.jpg
Indian team were struggling at 69 for 5 at the deprature of MS Dhoni when Sourav Ganguly found a partner in Irfan Pathan - someone whom Ganguly hand picked a few hundered days ago. Together they complied 139, and Indian total started to get some look of substance.

Ganguly scored 83 off 141 balls with 13 fours, against South African bowlers who knew their conditions well. But the story doesn't end here..

Irfan Pathan has really shown some skills to play fast bowling and he had found another partner in Harbhajan Singh. I would like to take this opportunity to praise Coach Greg Chappell his work with our tailenders - they look more like lower order batsmen since Chappell is coaching Indian team. And although he has failed to produce results at premium times - batting of our bowlers have certainly improved because of him.

Back to the topic - Irfan Pathan made his maiden century - his highest score in any kind of cricket - 111 not out at the stumps on Day 1 in tour match against South Africa A.

Harbhajan Singh showed his skills with bat for his 67 ball 47 and even Zaheer Khan looked good for his stay of 25 balls at the wicket.


The Scorecard :

IND v SA-A scorecard – End of Day 1.


Toss SA – Fielding. India – 316 for 7 wickets.
Jaffer 0, Sehwag 0, Laxman 23 Nantie Hayward : 16-1-59-1
Tendulkar 10, MS Dhoni 6 Morne Morkel : 19-2-74-4
Sourav Ganguly 83 (141) 13 4s. Alfonso Thomas : 18-7-39-1
Irfan Pathan 111* (15 4s & a six) Friedel de Wet : 18-4-56-1
Harbhajan Singh 47 off 67 Paul Adams : 9-1-54-1


Note : The last name you see in the about score card in the bowling column - Paul Adams, is the same left arm chinamen bowler with strange bowling action and guess what - he is selected in the south African team for the first test match against India at Wanderers in South Africa starting on 15th of December.







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