5 most underrated performers in the India-South Africa series
India won the Test series 3-0, but the contribution of a lot of players was forgottenWhile it is often emphasised that cricket is a team sport, individual performances often overshadow the team’s brilliance. While most fans remember Sachin Tendulkar’s brilliant 98 against Pakistan in the 2003 World Cup, most forget that Yuvraj and Dravid were equally crucial towards India winning the match.Similarly, while most fans recall with delight Anil Kumble’s 10-74, two gritty innings of 60 and 96 made by Sadagoppan Ramesh in the same match hardly comes to mind.Rahul Dravid has often been shunned similarly, as several excellent performances by him have been pushed aside because someone else did something better – his 180 at Kolkata in 2001 and his three centuries in the tour to England in 2011 come to mind.The fact that the team works together to achieve a victory is often lost in the brouhaha over individual performances.The modern game is no different. India won the Freedom trophy in the Test series, comprehensively beating South Africa 3-0. Despite South Africa playing two Tests on rank turners, truth be told, they struggled even on good pitches in Bangalore and Delhi, succumbing more to the demons in their mind than the demons in the pitch.Ashwin and Jadeja picked up 70% of the wickets to fall, and South Africa only managed to go an entire session without losing a wicket in the second innings of the final Test. But once again, the heroes of the series were Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Ajinkya Rahane and the valiant AB de Villiers.Nobody spares a thought for the silent heroes sitting in the dugouts, who also gave their best for the team. Let’s take a look at 5 such players:
#5 Wriddhiman Saha
Ever since the retirement of MS Dhoni, speculation was rife over how India’s new ‘keeper would fare. Replacement names like Parthiv Patel, Dinesh Karthik and Naman Ojha were thrown in, but only one man had the best chance of making it – Wriddhiman Saha.
Saha had played several good knocks in the Ranji and the IPL before and had even played Tests for India. So it was natural that he would be appointed as Dhoni’s successor. He did not disappoint in the Sri Lanka series either, being good with the gloves and also playing a couple of handy knocks.
Saha did not have the best start to the tournament, getting out for a duck in the first innings at Mohali. But he showed his prowess in the second, where he came in to bat when India had lost quick wickets and needed a good partnership.
As wickets crumbled around him, Saha batted with the tail and protected them with all he had. Knowing that India needed runs, he dispatched loose balls for boundaries and was crucial in ensuring that the lead went past the 200-run mark.
He was at his best in the dustbowl at Nagpur, where again, he came in to bat with India at a precarious position. With India at 125-6, he produced one of the grittiest knocks of the series to score 32 off 106 balls.
On a vicious pitch where batsmen like Amla, Kohli and de Villiers had failed to stay in the crease, Saha had faced and beaten down more than a hundred balls. India’s score inched over 200 once again, and they were safe.
In the second innings at Delhi, Saha gave Rahane good company, scoring an unbeaten 23 off 51 balls. He understood that the run-rate needed to be upped while Rahane was searching for a century, and scored three boundaries in the process.
He also had an excellent time with gloves, keeping wickets to balls that turned square and kept low. He pulled off a spectacular catch late on the final session of the last day in Delhi, which only topped off the good series he had.