Top-ranked India eye new challenges

Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni looked ahead to new challenges after his side validated their ranking as the No.1 Test team by earning a share of the series against second-ranked South Africa at Newlands on Thursday.

The third and final Test ended in a draw when play was called off eight overs early with India 3-166 after being set to make 340 to win.

Opening batsman Gautam Gambhir guided India to safety with a cautious innings of 64.

“We’re happy with our performance,” said Dhoni, pointing out that India were possibly one wicket away from being able to force a win when South Africa were reeling at 6-130 on the fourth day.

“If we could have got that one wicket we could have done something very special,” he said.

Dhoni said he felt a shared series was a fair result and that his team were less concerned with the world ranking than with the process of preparing and playing well.

“Series between the top teams are very good for cricket,” he said. “This year we go to England and then to Australia, so we will have played all the other top three teams.”

Dhoni said there was always room for improvement. “We need to have a bigger pool of players because of the amount of games we play, especially fast bowlers, who are always likely to have injuries. It will be nice to have more fast bowlers who can do well in all conditions when we go to England and Australia.”

South African captain Graeme Smith was less satisfied after India batted out the final day.

“It was a pity we couldn’t close them out today but it has been a terrific series, very competitive.”

But Smith acknowledged that South Africa were in trouble on the fourth day before Jacques Kallis, man of the match and man of the series, made his second century of the match despite struggling with a side injury.

“Jacques was an inspiration to all of us in the dressing room,” said Smith. “We could see how much pain he was in.”

Kallis said the injury had got worse during his innings. Initially expected to be out of action for two weeks, he said he would rest for four weeks, “then start focusing on the World Cup”. The World Cup in Asia starts on February 19.

It was the first time in five tours of South Africa that India managed a share of the honours, an achievement which seemed unlikely when they were beaten by an innings and 25 runs in the first Test in Centurion.

But India bounced back by winning the second Test in Durban by 87 runs.

A draw was a fair result at Newlands after a match of fluctuating fortunes and some high-quality performances by players of both teams. Kallis took his career total of Test centuries to 40 with innings of 161 and 109 not out, while Sachin Tendulkar, the only man ahead of him on the all-time list, made a battling 146 for India.

Dale Steyn, the world’s leading fast bowler, took 5-75 in the first innings but had to wait until an hour and a half before the scheduled close on Thursday to add to his tally, having Gambhir caught down the leg side by wicketkeeper Mark Boucher.

Dhoni paid tribute to coach Gary Kirsten, a former South African opening batsman, whose contract ends after the World Cup and seemed resigned to him not renewing his deal.

Responding to speculation that Kirsten could be the next South African coach, Smith said: “I’m going to stay out of that. It is well known that I have a lot of respect for Gary as a person and as a coach but the (appointment of) the next coach of South Africa will have nothing to do with me, as the last two coaches had nothing to do with me.”