Test series against South Africa was an interesting contest: http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Mahendra-Singh-Dhoni-c73820
Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni said on Thursday that his team’s drawn three-match Test series against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757 was an interesting contest. Dhoni’s men came from a game down to draw the series for the first time in South
Africa.
“It was an interesting series,” said Dhoni. “We are quite used to coming from behind; we never do well in the first Test.”
Dhoni praised the efforts of his fast bowlers and attributed the achievement to them.
“The bowlers did the job,” he said after the third and decisive Test ended in a draw at the Newlands ground in Cape Town. “Here (Newlands) too they tried their best but we couldn't take the last few wickets.
"The nature of the Kookaburra balls are such that it doesn't do much after 40 overs. Our bowlers are dependant more on skill than pace. So when a player like [Jacques] Kallis gets set, it becomes difficult to get him out as you
can't just push through with old ball.”
The visiting captain expressed satisfaction with his team’s efforts, particularly singling out Harbhajan Singh’s bowling performance as a “positive”. Singh took seven wickets in the final Test match.
Proteas captain Graeme Smith also conceded that it was a closely contested series.
"It was a terrific series. It was very competitive. Every session was competitive,” said Smith. “Last few series between us have been even. It shows that our teams are even.” http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750 and South Africa are placed first and second respectively
in the current ICC Test team rankings.
South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis earned praise from both the skippers for his centuries in both innings of South Africa despite being injured after he was hit on the chest by a delivery from S. Sreesanth on day two of the
final Test. “Jacques is an inspiration to all of us," said Smith.
Smith made a special mention of his spearhead pacer http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Dale-c52110 Steyn as one of the plus-points in his team. Steyn, currently the top-ranked Test bowler in the world, was the highest wicket-taker of the series, with 21 victims to his
name.
“As a team we managed to compete well with the best team in the world,” said Smith. “We would like to play India more. Every day is unpredictable and competitive. Thats what the fans to watch - some exciting cricket.”
Both teams will now head to Durban where they will play a T20 match on January 9, 2011, which will be followed by a five-match one-day series.
Tags: