Smith praises his team for “outstanding performance” against India
By ANITuesday, February 9, 2010
NAGPUR - South African skipper Graeme Smith on Tuesday praised his team for crushing India by an innings and six runs in the first Test played at the Vidarbha Cricket Association stadium in Nagpur.
The win, despite a fighting century by master blaster Sachin Tendulkar, gave the Proteas a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.
“It has been an outstanding performance from the guys. To win here, you need lots of discipline and the guys have showed it. There were a few special individual performances, but it was a good team effort,” Smith said.
Smith also emphasized fast bowler Dale Steyn’s ten-wicket haul in the match as crucial to bowl out India for 319 after being forced to follow-on.
“Its nice to have someone like Steyn. To run in like that and bowl as he did… It all happened so quickly even for us, it was great to watch,” he said.
The emphatic win was set up by Hashim Amla, adjudged man of the match for his 253, and Jacques Kallis (173) who helped South Africa post an imposing first innings score of 558 for six declared.
Speaking about the knock, Amla said: “I came to the crease at a crucial time…Everybody feels a bit of pressure and I am just grateful that I got an opportunity to put the team in a good position. I have had a few good partnerships with Jacques; once we both got in we complemented each other .. when I wasn’t scoring he was and vice versa.”
Amla rode his luck and remained unbeaten on 253 off 473 deliveries with the help of 22 boundaries. His previous best score was 176 against New Zealand at Johannesburg in 2007, and ow has the record for the highest score ever by a South African against India, beating A.B. de Villiers’s 217. (ANI)
