You have got to feel sorry for New Zealand. Being scuttled for just 45 runs even before a Test match has gone underway can be the worst way to start a cricket tour.
New Zealand can perhaps derive some solace from the fact that it is up against a formidable opponent like South Africa which, a little over a year ago, dismissed Australia for a paltry 47 runs in their second innings.
South Africa had conceded a lead of nearly 200 runs when they collapsed for 96 in their first innings but eventually triumphed. Typically, the Kangaroos bounced back to win the next Test but then not every cricket team has the never-say-die spirit of the Aussie.
But then, something similar happened over 25 years ago in a Test match between West Indies and Pakistan at Faisalabad. Remember, this was the time the Caribbean cricketers were the flavour of the world and this was a side led by the incomparable Viv Richards. They were set 239 runs to win which was akin to a walk in the park. Or so did all of us think.
Horror of horrors! Abdul Qadir ran through the Windies’ famed batting line-up and the final scoreboard was a minuscule 53 all out! This was from the most powerful side in the world which lost a match by 186 runs after leading by 89 runs in the first innings. It was a big blow to diehard followers of the West Indies who began wondering if this was the beginning of the end.
They got the answer in the next Test when Pakistan went down this time in the second innings for a mere 77 runs to lose by an innings and 10 runs. And West Indies promptly delivered the knockout punch at Lahore.
They also had the upper hand in the final Test at Karachi and effectively proved what it took to be champions of the game. Sadly though, it has been a downhill ride for these men from the Caribbean who have seen their teams register individual innings tallies of 47, 51, 54 and 61 since the turn of this century.
India, however, found it near impossible to crawl out of the pit it had dug itself into during the 1974 tour of England. Already 0-1 down, the team was routed for a paltry 42 at Lord’s to lose by an innings and 285 runs. It was, perhaps, the lowest point in Indian cricket. Not only did the side end up losing all the three tests but there were controversies off-the field too which did precious little for overall team morale.
Thankfully, India was quickly back on its feet in the home series against the West Indies. The thrashing against England was soon forgotten but the 42 scoreboard at Lord’s is still a grim reminder of the depths into which Indian cricket had sunk nearly four decades ago.
New Zealand will, likewise, have to struggle really hard to stay relevant in this series against South Africa. Both teams have had their share of lows in Test cricket. New Zealand holds the record for the lowest score (in an innings) of 26 against England way back in 1955. Ironically, South Africa was the custodian of this record till then when it was dismissed for just 30 against England in 1924 (it was an encore of 1896 when it made an identical tally against the same opponent).
The game has, of course, moved a long way since those days. Modern cricket has become far more competitive that makes low scores of 50-60 runs in an innings quite a rarity. New Zealand would rather forget this nightmare and try to make a fight of it for the reminder of the series. South Africa, though, could have different ideas.