da heads bet： Shaun Pollock admitted that South Africa would need to lifttheir game by at least “20 to 30 percent” if they were to revive theirfortunes in the three-Test series against India
Dileep Premachandran in Durban24-Dec-2006
‘Pollock himself had a fine game at the Wanderers, having Rahul Dravidcaught behind for his 400th wicket, but said that the collectiveperformance had been a depressing one’ © Getty Images
Shaun Pollock, the local hero who picked up his 400th Test victim in thefirst Test at the Wanderers, admitted that South Africa would need to lifttheir game by at least “20 to 30 percent” if they were to revive theirfortunes in the three-Test series against India. Pollock accepted that heand his team-mates had been well below their best in the 123-run loss, butwas confident that they had the quality to turn things around.”We have done very well in South Africa over the years,” he said, alludingto a record of only 14 defeats in 71 home Tests since readmission to theinternational game. “But we lost here in Durban against the Pakistanis[1997-98] and managed to turn it around. It’s always there in the back ofour minds that we don’t want to lose the series. In order to win it, we’vegot to win the next two. So it’s a huge Test match for us. We need tolevel the series here, go on to Cape Town and hopefully win there.”Pollock said that the mood in the dressing room remained upbeat, and thatthe team would make the most of one further practice session on Mondaymorning before the Test starts on Boxing Day. Pollock will spend Christmasat home with his family, but was clear that the Indians shouldn’t expectany belated presents once they cross the boundary line at Kingsmead.”We’re disappointed at having lost the Test match,” he said. “It was asevere blow for us. It damaged our pride a little bit, so we need to getthat back and we’re very keen to set the record straight.”Though he himself had a fine game at the Wanderers, having Rahul Dravidcaught behind for his 400th wicket, Pollock said that the collectiveperformance had been a depressing one. “We’re quite disappointed on thebowling front, we could have done better,” he said. “On the batting side,to be knocked out for 84 is just unheard of for South African sides,especially back home.”We haven’t focussed too much on that. We’re moving forward now, and weneed to hit the right areas in the next Test match. It’s a different kindof wicket, so what we discussed there doesn’t really count here.”He defended his new-ball partner, Makhaya Ntini, saying that everyone wasentitled to the occasional ordinary game, and expressed his doubts overwhether Graeme Smith would opt for a spin option in the shape of PaulHarris. And when it was put to him that South Africa’ bowling line-up hadbeen predictable and one-dimensional at the Wanderers, he came back with asharp response.”It makes good stories, doesn’t it?” he asked. “If you look at the fivethat played at the Wanderers, we’ve got the sheer pace of Dale Steyn whoshapes it away, and Makhaya Ntini who shapes it in. Andre Nel is a tallbowler who has got a different action, I’m the sort of the guy who hitsareas, and Jacques Kallis is a genuine away-swing bowler. If that’slacking variation, then I would hate to see a combination that has gotvariation. Probably the only thing we might have lacked was a spinner.”There was praise for Sreesanth – “The ball comes out of his hand lovely,the seam is upright” – but he hesitated to label India’s attack the bestto come out of the country. “I have played against an attack that hadJavagal Srinath, and I think he was the best fast bowler that India hasproduced,” said Pollock. “He was remarkable over the years, the way he gotthe ball to talk, not only in seamer-friendly conditions in South Africabut on some very flat wickets in India. So any attack that had him wouldprobably be the best Indian fast-bowling attack that I have seen so far.”There has been the odd rumour doing the rounds that the upcoming Testseries against Pakistan could be Pollock’s last, but he insisted that suchthoughts hadn’t been given any serious thought in the midst of a seasonthat will culminate with the World Cup in the Caribbean.”I always re-assess at the end of each season and see where I’m going,” hesaid. “I feel like I have got this one and another one, maybe, in me. Sono, there’s no retirement imminent.”The cricket fraternity, poised to lose two of its all-time greats atSydney, will be relieved to hear that.