Gracious in Loss

I am not a big fan of the South African team. But their behavior during and after the Kanpur test has raised them in my estimation. They have the right to feel a bit disappointed at being given a pitch like this. Mind you, I see no philosophical difference between a greentop that ends a match in 3 days and a rough track that ends the match in 3 days. Yet, it can not be denied that the Indians went as far as is legally allowed to snatch a well-deserved series win from Smith's men. So their gracious and even proud behavior is all the more laudable compared to the boo-hoo-hery that the Aussies displayed in 2004 even after losing the Bombay test after winning the series.

Sidharth Monga said it well -

What was most remarkable about the South African team might not come through just by looking at these numbers. They were given a pitch that might have had other touring teams complaining bitterly. The South Africans, on the other hand, made no complaints - their captain and coach even mentioned that they wouldn't hesitate to give the tourists a greentop if they were looking to come back in a home series - and instead went ahead and gave it their best shot. This was in stark contrast to Ricky Ponting's team that lost in Mumbai in 2004-05.