Whodunnit: Graeme Smith says it was tail's call to not push for win

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http://www.indianexpress.com/news/whodunnit-graeme-smith-says-it-was-tails-call-to-not-push-for-win/1210661/ It was a decision that took almost everyone at the Wanderers by surprise, not just the thousands in the crowd who started booing their own South African team. As Vernon Philander began refusing singles in the penultimate over of the innings, you could see that even the home team dressing-room throwing puzzled looks at each other. In fact, with South Africa requiring 16 runs off 18 balls with three wickets in hand, Philander and Dale Steyn played out two maiden overs. At one point AB de Villiers walked out onto the balcony with his arms outstretched with a sense of disbelief, to which a haggard Faf du Plessis, who was run out with 19 balls left, replied with a shake of the head. Eventually South Africa fell just eight runs short off chasing down 458 with three wickets still left, and Philander unbeaten on an aggressive 25. Not surprisingly, the tailender's approach was something that Graeme Smith had to explain after the match. What was surprising was Smith's revelation that the call to shut shop had been taken by the two tailenders in the middle. Team supports call "I think we as a team have to support the decision Dale and Vernon made in the middle. In a two-Test series, with one match to go, there is an opportunity to go and win the series in Durban. We have to believe in the decision that Dale and Vernon made," he said, answering a query about whether the No.1 team in the world had surrendered to a fear of failure. But that wasn't just it. Smith was then asked whether he or the team management had sent any message down to Philander and Steyn while they were at the crease. "The message was to set it up for the last over. Then there were a couple of maidens bowled, which made it difficult. I think ultimately we needed to give Vernon an opportunity to win us the game. I think he was the guy that probably would have done that. It never happened. At that stage you can't send out messages between overs. That is not allowed," he explained. At one point, Smith even snapped at the Indian media contingent insisting that he would not be coaxed into saying that he disagreed with the decision taken by his two fast bowlers. "Ultimately the strength of this team is that there are good decision makers. Each guy is mature. So I think that's how we have got to No. 1, trusting each other, trust each other's decision making. Dale and Vernon have 100% support from me," he said. Salt into wounds Virat Kohli also made the most of the opportunity to rub salt into the South African wounds, twice insisting that the Indian team had been shocked and surprised by the opposition backing away from the target and playing for a draw. Smith wasn't to be outdone. And the back and forth continued. "They certainly didn't have four slips, a short leg and a gully. I can throw the thing back at you if you want. I think certainly they didn't play like a team that had been wanting to win the game," he said.

[South_Paw]

One word: Chokers

[Spiderguy252]

South Africa is always a divided house. Be it captain vs coach, selectors vs players, white vs black, you name it. I don't expect anyone to take accountability for this.

[Soorma_Bhopali]

South Africa is always a divided house. Be it captain vs coach, selectors vs players, white vs black, you name it. I don't expect anyone to take accountability for this.

Having played so wel to get into the position to win with 16 needed off 18 with three wickets in hand , the decision to play out two maidens and refusing singles was inexplicable. THere is no word other than CHOKERS to describe it . India got out of jail and would be the happier side having dominated the test match for four full days with a side having 1/3rd of SA's experience with most of the batting order on their first major overseas tour . Consideing the fact the India invariably lose the first overseas test match usually , they would be the happier lot .:two_thumbs_up:

[Lord]

no way

[Iconoclast]

Also Vernon, Steyn and Morkel can all bat ... Just seen Morkel hit Ajmal out of the park a month ago. CSA need to do a thorough post mortem here.

[Detonator]

Honestly, SA shld ve gone for the win. Our fast bowlers aren't threatening in the last hour. they could ve taken some singles intead of shutting shop and slogged in the last over.

[vvvslaxman]

One word: Chokers

If they are chokers we are worse. Didn't push for win in windies , lost 3 wickets in penultimate over in Sydney As a fan I couldn't control my nerves during test. Think about players, we didn't push for win against windies. In tests SA are anything but chokers

[putrevus]

SA team in spite of having an all time great bowler and a very strong supporting cast along with one of the best batting units will always be remembered as side which was a very good but not an all time great team. They played great and all breaks went against india with all edges falling in no man's land and pitch getting flat along with tiring bowling attack with spinner not being effective. IMO they never went for a win it fell into their lap yet they failed to seize it if they say anything else they are denying it.

[saneindian]

How can the current SA team be a great team when they have never won a series in India, SL, Pakistan (UAE)? The current team in last 4-5 years has failed to beat India, Aus and Eng at home as well. They are a great team currently but will go down in history as a 'very good team' for not losing a series in last 5-6 years. Not sure even if they had gone onto win yesterday, the tag would have changed much except for making this a historical record breaking chase.

[South_Paw]

SA team in spite of having an all time great bowler and a very strong supporting case along with one of the best batting units will always be remembered as side which was a very good but not an all time great team. They played great and all breaks went against india with all edges falling in no man's land and pitch getting flat along with tiring bowling attack with spinner not being effective. IMO they never went for a win it fell into their lap yet they failed to seize it if they say anything else they are denying it.

Exactly. That's the reason why they were unabel to win it. If they had come this close purely by their effort, they would surely not have had the heart to give it away. Also whatever might be the case, to chase down 450+ in 4th innings, a team needs a killer instinct which I think only Aussies would have had it in similar situation (May be not the current ones but surely the mighty Aussies would have). I also would slightly like to rate our 387 chase a bit higher than this draw of SA. But opinions over that might surely differ.

[vvvslaxman]

How can the current SA team be a great team when they have never won a series in India, SL, Pakistan (UAE)? The current team in last 4-5 years has failed to beat India, Aus and Eng at home as well. They are a great team currently but will go down in history as a 'very good team' for not losing a series in last 5-6 years. Not sure even if they had gone onto win yesterday, the tag would have changed much except for making this a historical record breaking chase.

I don't think many are equating this SA side to greatest of all time team. Don't recall any SA commies hype them to be so. But English supporters did hype their English side to be one. There lies the difference. SA rarely reached rock bottom. A consistent top side.

[saneindian]

I don't think many are equating this SA side to greatest of all time team. Don't recall any SA commies hype them to be so. But English supporters did hype their English side to be one. There lies the difference. SA rarely reached rock bottom. A consistent top side.

I was responding to this post (post #9)

SA team in spite of having an all time great bowler and a very strong supporting case along with one of the best batting units will always be remembered as side which was a very good but not an all time great team.

[putrevus]

Exactly. That's the reason why they were unabel to win it. If they had come this close purely by their effort, they would surely not have had the heart to give it away. Also whatever might be the case, to chase down 450+ in 4th innings, a team needs a killer instinct which I think only Aussies would have had it in similar situation (May be not the current ones but surely the mighty Aussies would have). I also would slightly like to rate our 387 chase a bit higher than this draw of SA. But opinions over that might surely differ.

I agree that 387 is better chase than this chase as once sehwag started his blitz it showed intent to win and after that the team had no alternative but to go for win .I don't think they would have done if Sehwag had gone out early. There England had no handicap or any bowler not coming to party. Here it was Indian bowlers and Dhoni in name of aggression gave away so many easy runs that they didn't have to anything special to keep up with scoring rate. Proteas may call it that it their genius run chase but if they were after the chase from beginning noway they would have abandoned it there.

[Marut]

No way this was the tail's decision. The decision came from the team room and the plans were clearly taken during the last drinks break. I don't think any team gives autonomy to players to make these choices. Now to save their face, they are hiding under this excuse.

[vvvslaxman]

No way this was the tail's decision. The decision came from the team room and the plans were clearly taken during the last drinks break. I don't think any team gives autonomy to players to make these choices. Now to save their face' date=' they are hiding under this excuse.[/quote'] Advise would not have been not to go for win. At best "protect your wickets". If Ashwin and Zaheer were in the same scenario with 3 overs to go with an injured Shami and Ishant to come my first prayer would be "Please please play safely".

[vvvslaxman]

This match is eerily similar to our match against West Indies 5 overs to go 19 runs 4 wickets in hands Kohli 63 not out Ashwin 8 not out Just like Fauf got out, Kohli got out to a blinder of a catch by Sammy Next ball Sharma 4 so it was down to 15 runs in 4.4 overs required with 3 wickets in hand 13 runs needed in 4 overs 3 wickets in hand 10 runs needed in 3 overs 3 wickets in hand 6 runs needed in 2 overs 3 wickets in hand tension, couple of run outs missed 3 runs needed in 1 overs 2 wickets in hand Final over Aaron missed 3 balls in a row Would you call this choking?

[putrevus]

If I were Smith and management I would have taken the blame even if the decision was taken by Steyn and Vernon . It is so wrong for a captain to push player under the bus it is very much similar to Dhoni pushed Sreesanth under bus with his idiotic comments. Captaincy is not about taking credit when things go well but to take all blame and alleviate pressure from the team mates if things go bad. Either Smith or Coach had to own up for the decision.

[vvvslaxman]

I may be minority. I don't think instruction would have been "Don't go for win". No captain would say that. Least of all a captain who has captained for 100 tests and orchestrated some of the finest run chases in his career. We blindly assume things. Just compare India match vs Windies where all decisions were made by Ashwin on the spot. Nobody told him anything.

[vvvslaxman]

If at all there were any instruction that would have been generic like "protect your wickets", "make sure we don't lose first" something like that.