Impact Players - RSA/India ('01-'02 Series)

Name: Herschelle Gibbs

Series stats:

Batting:
Runs scored: 316
Average: 79
Highest score: 196 in 2nd Test at Port Elizabeth

Best Performance:
Batting: 196 in 2nd Test at Port Elizabeth

Gibbs’ bludgeoning- too hot to handle:

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Herschelle Gibbs has been one of the most entertaining and fascinating cricketers to watch when he is in full flow. On his day, he has the distinct ability to tear apart any world-class bowling attack. The 2001-2002 bilateral Test series between India and South Africa is a great example where you can see Gibbs’ destruction with the bat when he is in his prime form.

In the first Test at Bloemfontein, South Africa won the toss and asked India to bat first. The visitors did well to muster up a big total of 379 runs with Tendulkar and debutant Sehwag cracking a ton each. It was South Africa’s turn to bat and Gibbs turned on the show with the willow from ball one. He and his opening partner Kirsten didn’t let the Indian new bowlers settle as they kept on plucking easy runs. Gibbs took both Srinath and Zaheer Khan to the cleaners as he was scoring at a quick pace. The right-hander brought up his 4th Test ton in just 140 balls. Gibbs was finally dismissed on 107 runs, an innings which saw 16 astonishing boundaries and two bludgeoning sixes. His 189-run opening stand with Kirsten was crucial in taking the momentum away from India.

The hosts went on to win the first Test by nine wickets but Gibbs failed in the second innings as he managed just 1 run. In the second Test at Port Elizabeth, South Africa were batting first. The aggressive right-hander carried his form on from the first Test as he once again decimated the Indian new ball attack. Though wickets were tumbling at the other end, it was hard to stop Gibbs who looked in a murderous mood. He played one of the most stupendous knocks by scoring 196 runs, his 5th Test ton. His highly entertaining innings came off 354 balls with 106 runs scored in boundaries. Gibbs’ score accounted for more than half of the rest of the team’s total.

Sadly for the hard-hitting opener, the match ended in a boring and controversial draw because of the Tendulkar ball-tampering fiasco. But Gibbs ran away with the Man of the Match as well as the Man of the Series awards for notching 316 runs at an average of 79 in four innings.

Name: Shaun Pollock

Series stats:

Bowling:
Wickets: 16
Best Figures: 6-56 in 1st Test at Blomfontein

Batting:
Runs scored: 58
Average: 29
Highest score: 55* in 2nd Test at Port Elizabeth

Best performances:
Batting: 55* in 2nd Test at Port Elizabeth
Bowling: 6-56 in 1st Test at Bloemfontein

Pollock’s deadly accuracy unsettles India:

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Shaun Pollock’s pin-point accuracy in bowling has been his strength over the years. He is being considered as one of the most economical bowlers in cricket history ever. With his nagging line and length. Pollock has been a tough bowler to score runs off. Like Glenn McGrath, the right-arm seamer from South Africa also achieved most of the success in his career due to his disciplinary bowling style. It was because of his astute captaincy and brilliant bowling spells, his nation emerged victorious in the Test series against India in 2001.

In the first Test, even though India managed to put up a big first innings total of 379 runs on the board, Shaun Pollock stood tall among everyone with bowling figures of 4-91. The Proteas took a healthy 184-run lead in the first innings. It was now time for Pollock and his men to tighten their grip on the first Test. The South African skipper started the Indian downfall by getting rid of Dravid early in the innings. The red-head pacer bowled one of the most ferocious spells in Test cricket in the afternoon session to put the Indian batting line-up in disarray.

He bowled some incredible deliveries to dismiss Laxman, Sehwag and Dasgupta. Pollock picked up his 13th five-wicket haul to have India skittled out for 237 runs. He had stunning figures of 6-56 in the second innings. South Africa went on to win the match by 9 wickets. His maiden 10 wickets in a Test match earned him the Man of the Match. In the second Test too, the Natal seamer harassed the subcontinent team as he scalped another 5-wicket haul to put his team in the driver’s seat. Though the match ended in a controversial draw, South Africa clinched the Test series 1-0 under Pollock’s leadership.

Pollock was the highest wicket-taker in the series with 16 wickets to his name at a miserly average of 14.12. He also proved his worth with the bat when he scored an unbeaten 55 runs in the Port Elizabeth Test.
 

- Rohan Tawde