NGIDI’S THE BOSS
Ngidi overwhelmed by support after skittling out Indians
PROTEAS fast bowler and man of the moment Lungi Ngidi is humbled by the massive support he has received on his test debut against India, where he returned with highly impressive figures of 6/39 in the second innings and 7/90 in the match. His six wickets in India’s second innings were the seventh-best by a South African on debut and the 27th best all-time to follow in the footsteps of Lance Klusener (1996), Kyle Abbott (2013), Alf Hall (1923), Marchant de Lange (2011), William “Gobo” Ashley (1889) and Peter Pollock (1961).
He helped South Africa to convincingly beat No 1-ranked India by 135 runs at SuperSport Park, where the Proteas wrapped up the series with a match to spare in Johannesburg next Wednesday.
“To be honest, it is difficult to describe the feeling,” Ngidi said. “I am not used to having people cheering in my ear. “Every time it hit me, it gave me goose bumps and I was nervous out there in the middle of the game.
“But it is an honour and privilege to see people appreciate the work that you do out there,” he said.
Ngidi also paid glowing tribute to Pierre de Bruyn, the man who recruited him from Hilton College in Durban to the University of Pretoria almost five years ago.
Ngidi said he could not thank him enough for the trouble he had taken to convince him to relocate.
“I don’t think words will ever be enough to thank him, I would not even know where to start.
“He moved me from where my cricket had kind of taken a dip and took me to a place where I am now able to flourish as a batsman. “It took him three years to convince me. “He first arrived and I was not hearing it, but he would consistently arrive, asking just for me.
“I wanted to see if he really meant it by playing hard to get, but eventually in my matric year I decided I wanted to further my studies and he offered me that opportunity and to play cricket at the same time.
“I honestly did not know where it was going to go. I started from scratch at Tuks and here I am,” he said.
Before the test match, De Bruyn said if Ngidi was picked as a replacement for Dale Steyn he would be happier than the Titans player. “He has come a long way since he was a little kid. “I am abundantly happy for what he has achieved in a short period of time and I believe that he has a lot to offer because he is a special talent and a humble human being,” he said.
THERE is nothing like a run-out that gives you a window into a batting team’s scrambled frame of mind. Perhaps it was also fitting that it was Lungisani Ngidi‚ who collected test best figures of 12.2-3-39-6‚ who got the ball rolling at Centurion when his smart fielding fooled India’s current king of run-outs, Cheteshwar Pujara, into taking a fatal third run.
After all‚ Ngidi’s first tangible act in test cricket was the running out of Pujara in the first innings.
The debutant was a key figure in the second-innings steamrolling of India.
He needed only 15 minutes of the fifth morning to ensure the Proteas did not have to endure another afternoon roasting in the hot sun.
However‚ it was in his primary employment as a bowler that he did the most damage.
With him being a son of the KwaZulu-Natal soil‚ it was fitting that the Distruction Boyz’s hit song Omunye was played at the fall of Hardik Pandya’s wicket. India literally collapsed in a heap
Reeling in the big fish
Ngidi’s fourth-evening dismissal of Virat Kohli pretty much set up the morning procession.
As one cricket scribe pointed out on Twitter‚ the head of the snake had been unceremoniously removed and the body was to follow.
It was an important dismissal as India were heavily reliant on their aggressive captain to lead the ground record chase.
An hour of his magical and commanding batting on the fourth evening could have changed the complexion of not only the match‚ but the series.
His enchanting first-innings 153 reminded South Africa of his class and his willingness to stick to what works for him.
Ngidi’s elation was palpable to a point where Kohli turned and glared at the hulking 21-year-old‚ but there was nothing he could do but stare.
AB the Magnificent
The feeling of being robbed of a slice of history as being the first Asian side to win a test match in Pretoria was too much for Kohli to bear.
However‚ this is South Africa’s fortress and more importantly AB de Villiers’s playground.
Without his second-innings 121-ball 80 that pretty much took the turgid surface out of the equation‚ India would have fancied their chances.
The South African innings moved along swiftly when De Villiers and Dean Elgar were stitching together their match-defining 141-run partnership and it proved to be the major difference. It was the highest partnership of the match‚ highlighting the importance of two set batsmen making the most of what was a delicately poised situation.
‘Iron gloves’ Patel
There is also the significant matter of Parthiv Patel‚ whose glove work has not matured with his age, having debuted as a 17-year-old against England in 2002.
The fact that India have called up Dinesh Karthik‚ who once replaced him in one of his earlier spells as India’s keeper‚ spoke volumes about the lack of trust in his abilities.
He gave let-offs to Hashim Amla (82) when on 30 and Elgar (61) on 33 at a stage where his bowlers worked hard to prise openings.
One wonders if he had an iota of the confidence shown by South Africa’s fielders‚ how different things would have been.
Catches win matches
The best example was that of Morne Morkel’s superb running catch to get rid of Patel during the second-innings cascade. Morkel may have a safe pair of hands but his giraffe-like mobility often hinders him.
His graceful movement to his right and his pinpoint judgment to snare a beauty of a catch off Kagiso Rabada was a window into the positivity radiating through the Proteas setup.
It was a pity he had to be upstaged by the gazelle-like De Villiers‚ whose grab off an errant Rohit Sharma pull hastened India’s demise. – TimesLIVE