During India’s inaugural Test against South Africa, in Durban, some of us in the media box were among the first non-Whites to watch a Test in that country from behind the bowler’s arm. Later Nelson Mandela was to describe to us how he watched his favourite cricketer, Australia’s Neil Harvey, from a cage square of the wicket.
India began well, getting a wicket with the first ball, Jimmy Cook caught Sachin Tendulkar bowled Kapil Dev. The Test was drawn, but South Africa won in Port Elizabeth (now called Gqeberha) to take the series. In three decades since, India have not won a series there after seven more tours. Their much-vaunted batting was dismissed for 100 and 66 in two innings in Durban ’96. They finally won a Test in Johannesburg a decade later, Sreesanth’s five in the first innings dismissing South Africa for 84.
Three decades might not seem like a long time when you consider it took India seven to win their first series in Australia. But that was a different India then, an India which saw a drawn Test away from home as a victory of sorts, an India content to be lambs abroad if they could be tigers at home.
