Altus Momberg

Nagpur – Paul Harris showed on Tuesday why the Proteas’ selectors are so reluctant to go into a Test without him.

The left-handed spinner’s place on the South African cricket team was in jeopardy after an average series against England and an unconvincing performance in the warm-up game against an Indian Board XI.

However, he underlined his value on the fourth day of the first Test against India.

Harris took 3/76 in 38 overs and his marathon bowling shift allowed the Proteas’ pace attack to bowl aggressively.

The fact that he conceded an average of only two runs an over allowed his captain, Graeme Smith, to set an attacking field throughout the day.

Harris spent just about the whole day tempting the Indian batsmen into playing attacking shots with deliveries that landed in the foot marks on their leg stump.

Murali Vijay was the first batsman not to show the necessary patience and he hit the ball down Morné Morkel’s throat with a sweep shot.

Harris also got rid of Sachin Tendulkar and Mahendra Singh Dhoni. However, those wickets were a bonus. What mattered was how he managed to keep the Indian batsmen quiet.

“I am used to everyone writing Paul off,” Smith said after the Proteas’ win by an innings and six runs.

“It does not matter where we are in the world. We have toured a number of countries, including England and Australia in recent years, and it’s always the same with Paul in the build-up.

“Nobody ever gives him a chance, but he is a strong person and does his work. I think he is a very unselfish player and understands and performs his role in the team very well.

“He may have struggled with his confidence at the beginning of the tour, but he worked hard and played a key role in the Test,” said Smith.

Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was also full of praise.

“He made it very difficult for us. He is the one bowler prepared to bowl 30 overs in a day and kept the pressure on us. It is difficult to take him on because he is so accurate and does not bowl many poor deliveries,” said the Indian skipper.