Top Notch Performers

South Africa termed it a grudge match against Sri Lanka and were as good astheir word. The low total didn't matter nor the dew which has teams shaking intheir boots.

In this Group of Death where all teams had at least one win each by Tuesday,South Africa are picking up the pace at the right moment. How I would love towatch them against Pakistan - as I would to see India against Australia whichessentially implies that semi-final line-up would be a surprise till the verylast second.

If you run the gamut of successful one-day ingredients a few pointers emerge:competitive instincts, deep batting, varied bowling, stifling fielding and tonsof experience. This is what defines Australia and this is what makes SouthAfrica consistently the second best side of the last decade. They will be one ofmy top three teams for the World Cup.

Judged by the same scale, Sri Lanka has some serious work to do. They stillrely on Chaminda Vaas to make early inroads and Sanath Jayasuriya to blast themoff the run-blocks. Otherwise the batting stutters even though they have thelikes of Kumar Sangakarra and Mahela Jaywardena who are very fine players butdon't threaten and finish oppositions like Jayasuriya does and MuthiahMuralitharan has too much left on his plate. I guess they are in for a realitycheck.

Sri Lanka doesn't belong to this exclusive club -- not yet. They still situneasily on the table where lions are feasting. In most conditions, I would backPakistan and India over them. Much as their bowling has come along and fieldinghas improved, topped by Jayawardene's engaging captaincy, their teeth is stillnot sharp and long enough to bite deep outside of home where they are tigers.Unless and until you are an England!

South Africa on the other hand will build up a good steam ahead of World Cupby taking care of India and Pakistan at home in the coming months. They areunstoppable at home and if you disagree please name a team other than Australiawhich last won a Test on their turf.

Even in alien conditions, a few things work for them. Their fast bowlers aretall and when the likes of Makhaya Ntini hit the deck, the uneven bounce ofsub-continental pitches could be disconcerting for batsmen.

A few barbs and breaks have done their seniors no harm. Shaun Pollock willalways be in my World eleven and it's not because ICC's rankings are my gospel.He will always be economical and despite the drop in pace, capable of strikingearly blows.

Jacques Kallis is another Prince Charming who first steadied the ship andthen bowled a lively spell of 86-87mph. I loved his spell to Fervez Maharoofwhere he teased the batsman-with-no-footwork outside the off-stump before a wideoff-break was duly steered to lone slip. These two, not for nothing, are the topall-rounders of the game along with Andrew Flintoff.

What the Proteas lack is a quality spinner. It didn't hurt them on Tuesdaynor the fact that 219 wasn't a goodly total. In that sense the batting has somework to do which I detected is hesitant to hit over the top.

The lack of creativity could hurt for Murali, very smartly, kept drifting onto their pads and with two fielders in the deep on the onside, there were noeasy boundaries to be had. The option of course was to hit inside out on theoffside which is easier said than done against the champion off-spinner on slowpitches.

PTI