Kallis shepherds Proteas to victory
Thursday, 28 June 2007
India captain Rahul Dravid blamed the team's poor scoring in the last 10 overs of their innings for defeat by South Africa in Belfast.
"Probably, with eight wickets in hand, we would have liked more than 60 in the last 10 overs, maybe 70 or 75. That would have been more par for the course on the slog. But some good shots from the guys went straight to the fielders - and they bowled well at the death," said Dravid, following their four-wicket loss.
He singled out Piyush Chawla for special praise, after the young leg-spinner returned figures of 3-47 from his 10 overs.
Opposite number Jacques Kallis, meanwhile, was delighted by another good performance from all-rounder Vernon Philander, who followed his four wickets against Ireland last Sunday with another tidy spell of bowling and by hitting the winning boundary.
"Vernon did extremely well there at the end to finish it off. To come in and perform the way he has shows big character. He's done it back home in domestic cricket - and this time he did at the highest level. He's setting himself some high standards to maintain," said Kallis.
"We said the Afro-Asia Cup and this tour would be times when we would be experimenting with a few young guys in our one-day side, and guys who put in big performances can make places their own'', he said.
"We have a lot of youngsters on tour, it's our first real tour since the World Cup and I think the guys have done superbly," he added.
"Probably, with eight wickets in hand, we would have liked more than 60 in the last 10 overs, maybe 70 or 75. That would have been more par for the course on the slog. But some good shots from the guys went straight to the fielders - and they bowled well at the death," said Dravid, following their four-wicket loss.
He singled out Piyush Chawla for special praise, after the young leg-spinner returned figures of 3-47 from his 10 overs.
Opposite number Jacques Kallis, meanwhile, was delighted by another good performance from all-rounder Vernon Philander, who followed his four wickets against Ireland last Sunday with another tidy spell of bowling and by hitting the winning boundary.
"Vernon did extremely well there at the end to finish it off. To come in and perform the way he has shows big character. He's done it back home in domestic cricket - and this time he did at the highest level. He's setting himself some high standards to maintain," said Kallis.
"We said the Afro-Asia Cup and this tour would be times when we would be experimenting with a few young guys in our one-day side, and guys who put in big performances can make places their own'', he said.
"We have a lot of youngsters on tour, it's our first real tour since the World Cup and I think the guys have done superbly," he added.