Simon Harmer said the Proteas still believe they can emerge triumphant from a first Test in Kolkata, where the momentum has swung wildly between them and India, on a pitch where no batter has looked settled.
The South African off-spinner took 4/30, helping to drag his side back into the contest with India dismissed for 189, a lead of 30 runs. However on an Eden Gardens track where the top layer of the surface has been disturbed regularly — especially for bowler operation form the dressing-room end — even that figure was made to look useful.
South Africa lost both openers in their second innings before they’d knocked off India’s lead and by stumps on Saturday, they were 93/7, an advantage of only 63 runs.
To laughter from local journalists, Harmer said South Africa could reach a lead of 150 on Sunday and bowl out India for 80. “There is still a lot of cricket to be played in this game and I still have the belief that we can put our best foot forward. The one thing this team has showed is that it fights when our backs are against the wall. We’ll try our best to find a way tomorrow,” said the 36-year-old.
After India had started day two solidly, it was Harmer, who began the rot, with a delivery that spun and bounced viciously off the surface, found the edge of Washington Sundar’s bat, allowing an easy catch at slip. India, who lost skipper Shubman Gill to a neck injury, lost 8/114, similar to South Africa’s first innings collapse as batters on both sides struggled to come to grips with a pitch featuring inconsistent bounce and plenty of spin.
“(As a spinner) you want to be testing batters on the front foot. If you allow them time to go back, it allows them to adjust and play the turn off the wicket. I wasn’t great before lunch, I probably missed (my length and was) a little bit short. You had to be fuller rather than shorter on that wicket.”
Three of Harmer’s four wickets resulted from deceiving batters by bringing them forward, while India, with Ravi Jadeja matching Harmer with a four wicket haul in South Africa’s second innings, targeted the stumps more. “The Indian boys know how to bowl in these conditions.”
As difficult as conditions are for batters, some of the South Africans struggled with finding the optimum balance between attack and defence. Both Kyle Verreynne and Marco Jansen were arguably too aggressive but Harmer had sympathy for his teammates.
“It’s very easy to pass judgement from the outside. When you walk into that cauldron, the pressure, the ball turning, not turning …it’s about settling your nerves, accepting the pressure and trying to find a way to get through the first 20 balls.”
Harmer praised the application showed by skipper Temba Bavuma who ended the day on 29 not out, for providing a blueprint for how to bat in difficult conditions. “The tempo of his innings was very good,” Harmer added.
“But Temba showed today with his application, the tempo was very good in his innings. He’s probably given us a blueprint for how to go about our business.”
