da lvbet： Discussions at the post-day press conference on day two revolved aroundthe merits of the different approaches to batting seen from South Africaand India, a difference that was starkly emphasized by Virender Sehwag’srattling innings in the afternoon
Chandrahas Choudhury29-Nov-2004
Harbhajan Singh: ‘Our batsmen have todo their part of the job’© Getty Images
“South Africa looked like they didn’t want to win the match,” saidHarbhajan Singh. “They seemed like they would be happy with a draw. Theynever scored at much more than two runs an over. Now our batsmen have todo their part of the job, and make a big score – about 500. That will giveus enough of a lead to put South Africa under pressure in the secondinnings.”South African coach Ray Jennings later contested Harbhajan’s remarks.”People are misunderstanding us,” he said. “We played as well as we could.You have to remember the guy coming in after Kallis was making his debut.And Ontong was playing his first game for four years. It’s a differentthing when you’re batting with Tendulkar waiting to bat after you.”Jacques Kallis expressed satisfaction with his hundred, saying that thepitch was not an easy one to score on. “It’s always more rewarding whenyou have to work to get your runs. It’s probably one of my best hundreds,though I’d say my first hundred against Australia was better.”Kallis conceded that South Africa had not made enough runs. “305 is anaverage score – we would have liked 400. But the Indians bowled very welland we didn’t stand up. We’ll have to bowl well tomorrow to come back inthe game. But we didn’t set out to play for a draw. The day a South Africateam comes out to play for a draw we’ll walk right off the field.”