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Jacques Rudolph may go on to make many Test
centuries in his career that might result in
victories for his side, but his innings against
Australia in the first Test at Perth will always be
termed among his best ones. No one can argue this
after considering the circumstances under which the
innings was played, and the quality of the
opposition. Trailing by 490 in the final innings,
it almost seemed like a hopeless cause for the
Proteas at the end of the fourth day, more so after
they had lost both their openers. Also, Rudolph
only got an opportunity to participate in the game
only because his namesake Kallis was deemed unfit.
So the pressure on the young lad was expectedly
immense. But the 24-year old left-hander proved
that he's made of sterner stuff as, in the company
of Justin Kemp, he staved of a giant challenge
against the likes of McGrath, Warne and Lee. In the
end, the match may have turned out to be a draw,
but it certainly among the more exciting Tests ever
played.
Right from day one, the pendulum of the game swung
to and fro. Makhaya Ntini was the star on the
opening day as he pegged back the Aussie
middle-order with a blistering spell. Generating
pace and bounce at the venue renowned exactly for
that, Ntini sent back Hussey, Hodge and Gilchrist
in the space of a mere thirteen deliveries, after a
swashbuckling half-century by skipper Ponting. He
also dismissed both the openers (Hayden for a duck)
on the way to his tenth five-wicket haul in Tests,
as the Aussies were dismissed for an
uncharacteristically low score of 258. To complete
their domination, the visitors gave Australia a
dose of their own medicine, with Smith and de
Villiers going after the bowling in their short
stint at the crease.
It was clear at the end of the first day that the
Aussies were facing a confident opponent. But you
can hardly recall a game in which Australia have
not staged a comeback after having a bad day at the
office. This Test was no different. De Villiers
carried on in his attacking vein and reached an
impressive half-century. But Brett Lee did for the
home side what Ntini had done for the Proteas the
day before. Lee kept chipping in with crucial
wickets and also ripped apart the tail in quick
succession. But a sparkling half-century from
Boucher ensured that South Africa gained a slender
lead on a historic day, when Warne's three scalps
helped him to overhaul Dennis Lillee's record of 85
wickets in a calendar year. The Africans were
dismissed for 296, and it was all even-stevens at
the end of the second day, with Australia having
wiped out the deficit.
The next two days saw the Aussies in top gear as
Brad Hodge, the veteran of domestic cricket,
brought all his experience into play in a special
knock that all but set up a victory for the world
champions. Hodge's majestic double century was
punctuated with some flourishing drives, sweeps and
some innovative strokes. But despite his glorious
innings, this Perth Test will be remembered more
for Rudolph's match-saving marathon on the final
day. If Rudolph goes on to have a successful career
from hereon, this is the innings that will be
termed as 'The Making of Jacques Rudolph'. |