THE second Test between Australia and South Africa reminded me of the final of the 1999 World Cup that was played between Australia and Pakistan. On both occasions, the tussle was given much hype in the media. One related to the One-Day variety; the other to the Test arena, but on both ocasions a championship was at stake. It was Pakistan in 1999, and South Africa in 2001, but niether of the two could make any impression on the day when it mattered the most. Australia crushed them both, and did so mercilessly, giving no quarters at all.
Not that Pakistan or South Africa were, or are, bad teams. In terms of skill, in fact, they may match the Australians person to person. But what they lack is mental toughness. The Australians, under Steven Waugh, have developed the ability to raise — or lower, for that matter — their game according to the imeediate challenge they face. And they do so almost invisibly, but it does reflect in the result.
The South Africans, on the other hand, lost their self-belief by taking too much pressure on themselves. The media hype that billed it as the clash of the titans only added to their problems. And they were overwhelmed and demoralized so completely and so early in the series that they do not appear anymore as a top-ranking team. Of course, they will pick themselvs up agianst other sides, but, for the time being, they have no answer to the mighty questions raised by the Australians. And, even though I am writing these lines immediatly after the second Test, I do not think there will be much different in the third Test, where, as I see it, there will be more of the same.
The third Test, incidentally, is scheduled for Sydney, and each time it happens, it reminds me of that great game we had there back in the 1976-77 season. It was where Pakistan cricket really came into its own, and the national team began to perform with a certain level of consistency. We had beaten the Kiwis at home before moving on to Australia, where the first Test had ended in a dramatic draw, but Pakistan had lost the second one by a huge margin.
Moving on to Sydney for the series decider, the Australian media was playing its usual game of giving the visiting side no chance of salvaging any pride. But the Pakistanis, under Mushtaq Mohammad, were able to turn the tables on the Australians for a famous victory. Imran Khan, who was till then a bowler of moderate pace and ability, came of age there in Sydney, and was the key element in destroying the Australian lineup twice in that match. It was a memorable occasion when Pakistan scored the winning runs, and levelled the series 1-1. Needless to say, it was the first time a Pakistani outfit had done it on Australian soil.
The victory enabled us to have a wonderful series in West Indies, which was the next stop on our tour itinerary. Though we lost it 1-2, we were not disgraced, as the series had been a closely contested affair. And, if I remember it right, it was the first time Pakistan had registered a Test vicotry on West Indian soil. From then on, Pkaistan was considered not just a team that played well, but also had the potential to win. Sydney, in that sense, represents the turning point in the history of Pakistan cricket.
Back live, I don’t think the South Africans will carry home such sweet memories of Sydney, where they are faced with the impending prospect of a 3-0 whitewash.
THE second Test between Australia and South Africa reminded me of the final of the 1999 World Cup that was played between Australia and Pakistan. On both occasions, the tussle was given much hype in the media. One related to the One-Day variety; the other to the Test arena, but on both ocasions a championship was at stake. It was Pakistan in 1999, and South Africa in 2001, but niether of the two could make any impression on the day when it mattered the most. Australia crushed them both, and did so mercilessly, giving no quarters at all.
