5 famous batsmen who failed to deliver in South Africa

Proteas pace attack is still lethal as always‘Great’ is a term thrown around like a filthy old rag in modern cricket. It’s promiscuity is abominable. There is an irate tendency, almost an edginess to go searching for the next Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara or Ricky Ponting. The media feeds of the same sensationalism, a distressing reality of our times.Mere numbers aren’t the sole determinant of greatness. The hackneyed maxim that runs are runs can be discounted here. Another infuriating aspect about modern day cricket coverage just manifested, that bowlers are blatantly snubbed. For the greater purpose of this article, though, let’s overlook that grave injustice.Runs are not runs. The harder the circumstances, the more valuable they are, or should be considered. Brian Lara’s talismanic 153* against Australia springs to mind. Adaptability is another criterion, so, runs scored overseas are perceptibly tougher, hence rated higher. Backs against the wall runs are precious gems, Ricky Ponting’s 156 at Old Trafford was one such innings. Overcoming inner demons to produce something of note takes every ounce of mental spunk, another aspect of the game the celebrated conquer. Sachin Tendulkar’s 241* at Sydney is a canonical example.While it is impossible to talk about players from different time frames in the same breath, considering vastly contrasting environs, certain allowances are necessary for analysis and comparison. This, however, isn’t a comparison. It is an analysis of a peculiar nature. It concerns the enduring mystery surrounding the unfathomable failures, of undisputed Pharaoh’s of batting, in South Africa.Since reinstatement, South Africa have been one of the top three Test nations in the world. One of the hardest challenges for a touring team, Proteas have boasted a top-notch pace attack from their nascent years. Alan Donald and Shaun Pollock covered the first phase of South Africa’s return to Test cricket while the likes of Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel have carried forward a rich legacy of fast bowling. So, there’s never been an ephemeral moment of respite for opposition batsmen since 1992.The idea of a rainbow nation mirrors the heterogeneous character of pitches around the country. Of the major grounds, Johannesburg boasts one of the quickest pitches in the world, Kingsmead Durban changes character with the shift in sea tide, while Newlands Cape Town is a friend to all facets of the game, offering seam, spin and runs.Five good men globe-trotted and gathered a wealth of runs along the way. South Africa, however, remained a bridge too far. The author uses a time turner to visit their abstruse reality.

#5 Michael Hussey

Hussey’s dilemma

Why Michael Hussey’s entry into Test cricket was years behind time is beyond the realm of earthly comprehension. It took a decade-long grind in domestic cricket for his efforts to eventually bear fruit in the form of an International call up.

The ordeal in domestic cricket helped Hussey develop an insatiable appetite for runs, and a squamous skin, both prerequisites to cope with the rigours of International cricket. You’d think grown up playing at the WACA, Hussey’s toughest challenge would have been posed by the slow low turners of the subcontinent. But reality they say is infinitely stranger than fiction. Hussey was the torchbearer for the adage.

	AT HOME	IN SOUTH AFRICA	REST OF THE WORLD
MATCHES	45	8	24
RUNS	3794	449	1923
AVERAGE	60.19	32.07	45.78
HUNDREDS	14	0	5

Surprisingly, his most unprofitable tours were that of South Africa. He was afflicted with similar maladies such as Dravid, except, that he failed to register a single hundred in eight Test matches. One-third of his South African adventure was in fact, a balmy English afternoon before the story quickly turned a page. After three consecutive fifties on the 2006 tour, he managed just one more in his next 10 innings.

#4 Younis Khan

Younis averages 32 in South Africa

Technical deficiencies of Asian batsmen have traditionally been exposed to the bone in South Africa. The pitches offer consistent movement at rapid pace, with bounce to boot. Younis is a prototype Pakistani legend. They all come in a cropper in South Africa, except Azhar Mahmood.

	AT HOME	IN SOUTH AFRICA	REST OF THE WORLD
MATCHES	42	8	51
RUNS	3982	489	4343
AVERAGE	56.88	32.60	56.40
HUNDREDS	16	1	13

While it’d be unfair to label Younis a home track bully, just one century out of a total of 30 highlights a glaring dissonance. Like Sangakkara, however, Younis didn’t go through periods of lull, but consistently failed to convert promising starts into substantial scores, which could have otherwise helped boost his average. As it is, an average of 32.60 is no cause for mortification, but a player of his calibre would have expected a better return across three tours. He scored his only hundred at Cape Town in 2010.

#3 Kevin Pietersen

Pietersen’s ‘home’ misery

We get caught in a labyrinth of irony here. The story’s a legend and so is the protagonist. Pietersen moved base to England as he felt the quota system in South Africa, which ensures the conditional inclusion of coloured skin players, could hamper his future. So, Pietersen, born in South Africa played for England. He wasn’t the first and is unlikely to be the last, in fact, more have already followed.

	AT HOME	IN SOUTH AFRICA	REST OF THE WORLD
MATCHES	53	4	47
RUNS	4537	177	3400
AVERAGE	52.75	25.28	46.57
HUNDREDS	15	0	8

The paradox takes a twist when you consider that his introduction to the world (not his debut) transpired on England’s tour of South Africa in 2005. He wore hair that seemed to change colour with his mood and batted like the true incarnation of Sir Vivian Richards. And it was a home coming, a hostile one.

One a personal note the subsequent tour of South Africa was soulless in comparison. It was sadly his only Test tour of South Africa. In a small sample size of four Test matches, Pietersen huffed and puffed to a tally of 177 runs. 121 of those, including a highest of 81 came in the first Test at Centurion after which he fizzled like unattended lager. Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel played musical chairs with cheap Pietersen scalps.

Pietersen’s 23 career hundreds in 104 Tests suggest, that he scored a ton every four and half matches. An old world five-Test series may have helped him get the monkey off his back in South Africa.

#2 Kumar Sangakkara

Sangakkara didn’t dominate South Africa

Kumar Sangakkara was a sui generis among less gifted mates. His cover driving was the work of a calligrapher. Sans any discernible weaknesses, it was odd to see him struggle in South Africa. Bear in mind that struggle here is a relative term, a corollary of astounding numbers against the same opposition at home.

	AT HOME	IN SOUTH AFRICA	REST OF THE WORLD
MATCHES	75	8	51
RUNS	6830	572	4998
AVERAGE	60.44	35.75	58.11
HUNDREDS	22	1	15

Besides, an average of 35.75 shamed no earthling. It is only a testament to the mountainous standards set by the venerable Sangakkara. A contributory factor to a moderate record in South Africa is the lopsided cricket calendar, which has for years sidelined Sri Lanka as an unprofitable touring party. In a career that spanned 15 years, Sangakkara played a very tiny percentage of his total number of matches in South Africa. There was a paucity of time for Sangakkara to adapt and function at his optimum.

Yet, the most curious aspect about his record in South Africa was the fact that he got runs almost every third innings. You’d consider that a hallmark of a player in form. Except a little snag, that none of these were monstrous hundreds, or even baby hundreds, till his first at Durban in 2011. Between the fifties, there wasn’t much to write home about.

#1 Rahul Dravid

Dravid couldn’t do much in South Africa

Arguably India’s finest overseas batsmen, Dravid had better numbers away from home, averaging a notch higher at 53.61. When the going got tough, Dravid got going. His overseas success was built around sound principles: playing the moving ball late as an audacious afterthought and leaving deliveries with the discipline of a monk. Despite possessing a pull shot, he made ducking and weaving out of the way of a bouncer look sexy. He didn’t lack flair by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, all the beauty in the world was captured in a nutshell when Dravid square drove.

	AT HOME	IN SOUTH AFRICA	REST OF THE WORLD
MATCHES	70	11	82
RUNS	5598	629	7038
AVERAGE	51.35	29.71	57.68
HUNDREDS	15	1	20

Genuine pace, however, remained a mortal enemy. Towards the fag end of his career, balls jagging sharply into him were also a major cause of discomfort. His statistics are symptomatic of the aforesaid. Splitting his record into England & New Zealand runs and South Africa & Australia runs paints a lucid picture.

Strangely Dravid’s early association with South Africa like England was promising. In the third Test at Johannesburg, he scored a sumptuous 148, also his maiden Test ton. On three subsequent tour, though, he failed to replicate the same liking to South Africa. In fact, a solitary half-century is all he managed in his next 16 outings. His average nosedived to 29.71 by the time he played his last Test at Cape Town.

Another factor that conspired against him on South African sojourns was an untimely loss of form. His career cycle was invariably on a downward spiral preceding a tour of South Africa. In 2006, the burden of captaincy coupled with an unsettled team environment resulted in subdued returns with the bat. In 2010-11, Dravid’s confidence had hit nadir and one feared he was hanging by his last hinges.