It is not often that we may comment as follows about a cricket test match, one that has emerged the shortest test match ever played completely and decisively.
A test meant to be played over 5 days lasts less than 2 days. Imagine a few years ago, there even used to be a rest day in between the third and fourth days. The players have now wrapped up the match in two days to take three days' rest.
Each member of the team opting to bat after winning the toss ends up back in the pavilion by lunch break on the first day. A lot of heartbreak. Not much of an appetite.
A team that on paper may have a strong batting line-up ends up proving to have a long tail. The last six wickets folding up in 11 balls without adding a run.
A match in a SENA (S Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia) country trying to rival the 'dust bowls' of Hindustan by sending batsmen packing! The only difference is that playing on dust bowls also call for a lot of skill without much risk of bodily injury.
In the time frame it typically takes for any team's single innings (10 wickets across about 100 overs), 33 wickets fell within 642 balls (107 overs) and a test match has concluded definitively.
Before Iyer gets naturally 'Shreyas' with his work on racy wickets, he may need to put in a lot of Shram (hard work) and develop his Saboori (patience). He shows a lot of spirit in trying to take the battle to the pace bowlers. But it may not always be prudent, especially in the longer versions of the game and on pace-friendly tracks.
India surely did a fantastic job with this win. After Mohammed Siraj's heroics before lunch on the first day, it was undoubtedly India's game to lose. But who knows what might have been, had only another batsman in South Africa's second innings supported Aiden Markram. Another 30-40 runs and SA may surely have fancied their chances with India's long tail!
