The Price Of Survival

Pat Symcox December 10, 2001 00:00 IST The Price Of Survival -0001-11-30T00:00:00+05:53

Sadly, the Indian tour of South Africa will be recorded as one dogged by controversies—ranging from match-fixing to incompetence from the game's custodians. Where it will all finally end, no one knows. One thing's for certain though: the players provided some wonderful entertainment and we are once again left wanting to see more.

India's emphatic win in the tour opener against the Oppenheimer XI led all of us to believe that for once, India may be onto something good. Sadly, it wasn't to be. Between John Wright and Saurav Ganguly, India were unable to match SA's intensity and even allowed themselves to lose to Kenya. Remember, the word "upset" no longer exists in cricket's vocabulary. A good team on paper just has to always beat the weaker team nowadays, or incur a queried glance. The final saw India succumb to a far more organised and motivated team, in what was their umpteenth loss in a final.

Everyone expected the arrival of Laxman, Khan and Nehra to add an extra dimension to India in the Tests. However, deep down I always knew that playing Pollock's men in their...