Cape of good hope

They are the number one team in the world test rankings. They have bowlers who skittle opponents down with a regularity of an experienced chef. They have batsmen who can grind and strike bowlers down in equal measure. They have a captain who speaks less and does more. They have a coach who has an eye for detail and makes the whole much larger than the sum of individual parts. Is there anything that can topple the Proteas from their exalted perch. Not much that strikes the mind. If their was any doubt about bench strength, the coming of a second wave in Kleinveldt and Abbott has quelled that effectively. The batting is in good hands with Amla, De Villiers being the best in the business and Kallis going as strong as ever. The Saffas have corrected a major blip by dominating at home against the Kiwis and Pakistan. They were struggling at home while conquering territory every where else. With a summer of two white washes, they now tread the path of all time great sides. The final frontier though remains surmounting the treacherous subcontinent terrain. They need to win in India, Srilanka and the UAE to be counted in the same league as the erstwhile West Indians and Aussies. They will get the first chance later this year in the sands of the middle east but will have to wait till 2015 to try and finish what has begun as an extra ordianry journey. A year and a half is a long time in most competitive endeavors and the challenge would be to maintain the focus and personnel while a host of T20 bashes intervene.

MSD got his first double in international cricket and the innings was one to remember. Counterattack is the way Dhoni plies his trade the best and his knock conjured up memories of yore. He has the capability to strike a lot more significant blows like these but is subdued most times these days. I guess the crown of captaincy and wicket keeping rests heavy on his shoulders. It may be worthwhile getting Kohli in the saddle and let Dhoni do what he does best. The Aussies have suffered a set back first up but so did the English. There are three more tests to go and one is sure to see a different approach to countering dust bowls and spinners from them. Theirs is a side in transition and this is a high stepping stone. Will they be able to bring a spring to their steps in leapfrogging it?

A Steyn of brilliance

They are a dying breed, fast bowlers are. There was a time when batsmen worried as much about their mortality as run scoring when going out to bat in test matches. Run feasts were exceptional and each team worth its salt had at least two pacers who could strike the fear of gallows in the hearts of batters. You had the the whispering death with his cohorts in Marshal and Roberts and the Aussies wielded Thommo and Lillee with disdain. Waqar and Wasim combined to cut short many a budding batting careers. All that was time reminiscent of the fact that there is no better sight in cricket than a fast bowler hurling a leather sphere to a batsman looking like a new recruit accosted with the job of clearing a minefield. How times have changed. The pitches these days around the world (except probably a couple in the southern hemisphere) have become death beds for aspiring fast bowlers. The dust bowls have turned wannabe marauders into dibbly dobbly medium pacers who ply their craft in line and length looking to contain the batsmen rather than knocking them over. Such a travesty.

That is the sole reason why someone like Dale Steyn offers a wisp of fresh air in the midst of the overwhelming smog of the dead pitches and deader rules. He runs in against all odds and makes sure every batsman earns his stripes. He is not looking to wait and choke his adversary and induce a mistake from him. He is looking to get him out with sheer pace and movement. His prodigious out swingers are a treat for all except the one facing him at the other end of the pitch. A streamlined action puts him in a rare league of fit bowlers in times where breakdowns are getting as common as cold. His rewards for bending his back day in and day out are in the league of greats. At 5 wickets a test, an average under 25 and a strike rate of 40, he makes a top ten great list on any criterion you wish to choose. That he has achieved this when the batsmen have everything going for them is testimony to his art and heart. His is a story of a small town boy practicing the toughest of skills and becoming a great hence. There are not many who savor the idea of facing up to him on dead ball subcontinent pitches, let alone a juicy Wanderers. And that to me is stuff of legend. May his tribe increase.

Bienvenida de nuevo Rafa

The indomitable retriever is back. And what better surface to return on than his beloved clay. While the other three from the big four have been carrying the flag of awe inspiring tennis, the void that Rafa left after Wimbledon last year always rankled. His knees have been a cause for much strife and heartburn (forgive the physiological irreverence) but his style of play would always keep Nadal prone to such debilitating injuries. He has said that it would take some patience for him to get back in groove and one can just hope that time is before he steps upon the red clay of Roland Garros to defend his favorite title. He has dropped out of the top four in the ATP rankings with his compatriot Ferrer taking his place but there are no doubts about where he belongs. His absence may have led to a loss in ranking points but there has been no ebbing in his fan's love and respect. The golden age of tennis was bereft of its most dogged protagonist for a few months and with him being back, the levels of competition should just inch up that much more. Certainly a mouth watering prospect for all tennis aficionados. Nole may have to raise his game just that little wee bit more if he is to complete his career grand slam and continue his all conquering run. Here's wishing the Spanish great an injury free year ahead.

The ICC women's world cup is under way and the sound bytes that it has generated goes some way to show where the women's game is. While skill and quality surely play a role in the lowly standing that it has, the revenue generation is certainly not any less to blame. With no big money being involved either at the turnstiles, or in the telecast rights, the players get paid poorly and the budget to hype the quadrennial event is even poorer. Its certainly not a profession a good athlete would have in her sights. As long as the monetary aspect of the game doesn't become respectable if not lofty like their male counterparts, women's cricket is destined to dwell in the by-lanes of mediocrity and irrelevance.