One of the most dramatic Test matches of all time in which neither team deserved to lose, and at different moments both seemed like dead-set winners, ended in draw where either team was in with a chance of winning even when the last over began.
This Test will be written about and spoken about for centuries to come, and the two big heroes on the final day were Faf du Plessis and AB de Villiers, who stared history in the eye and refused to blink, putting together a 205-run fifth-wicket stand, the highest in the fourth innings in the game’s 2,108-Test history.
The Indian team, who put in a bigger collective effort than any they had in recent memory, will be disappointed they could not force the win, but such was South Africa’s resilience that the visitors will be happy to go into the Durban Test with a chance to win the series.
For the record, South Africa reached 450 for 7, and were eight runs adrift of the target India had set when the game was drawn on Sunday.
Du Plessis, who was sent out to bat at No 4 on the penultimate day, ahead of Jacques Kallis and de Villiers, reprised his heroics of his debut Test in Adelaide in 2012, when he batted nearly seven and a half hours in the final innings to save the game.
On the day, du Plessis batted normally in the most abnormal of situations. Faced with a stiffer target than had ever been chased in a Test match, du Plessis survived the good spells, left the dangerous deliveries alone and yet picked off the boundaries regularly enough to keep the scoreboard ticking over at more than three runs an over.
At the other end, du Plessis had de Villiers for company, and how they enjoyed themselves. Not in the traditional understanding of the word, in that they were not merrily whacking fours and sixes. But de Villiers fed off du Plessis and matched him stroke for stroke.
Early in their association, when India were on an all-out attack, de Villiers reminded the crowd of his pedigree with cover-driving of the highest class. Later, when du Plessis, who had to take painkillers on the field for a sharp blow to his right hand, faced a tough period, de Villiers shepherded his junior partner along, protecting their association.
When de Villiers (103) dragged Ishant Sharma back onto his stumps, 56 runs were still needed from 12.5 overs. It was not quite a tired shot, but de Villiers did not fully commit to the steer down to third man, and an angled bat left the door open for the ball to ricochet onto the stumps via the inside edge.
JP Duminy has probably never walked out to more pressure, but he did not show it, essaying a punchy straight drive back down the ground off Mohammad Shami, who came in for one last throw of the dice as the lights came on at the Wanderers. That drive encouraged the Indians, for it meant Duminy was looking to play his shots, which would keep the bowlers in the hunt. Sure enough, Duminy tried to repeat the stroke, and dragged back onto his stumps off Shami.
Vernon Philander, who had cracked 59 in the first innings, went after the bowling, while du Plessis sensibly saved himself at the other end, not merely conserving energy but also staying alive just in case India grabbed a couple of quick wickets and South Africa were forced to hang on for the draw.
In the event, Philander showed great composure, South Africa went past their highest fourth-innings effort, the 425 for six they put on against England in 1947, and went into the last five overs needing 28.
Zaheer, pushing himself to the absolute limits of his physical ability, clocked in the high 130s even in his final spell, despite having sent down 31 overs in the innings prior to that.
When he dropped short to du Plessis, though, the batsman showed he too was giving it his all, playing the perfect pull shot in front of square to send the ball to the midwicket fence. Du Plessis, wincing in pain, having put in a desperate dive to scamper a single after placing the ball to mid-off, had to peel himself off the ground when Ajinkya Rahane’s direct hit – an exact replay of his effort to remove Graeme Smith – left the batsman short. Du Plessis’s 134 had taken South Africa to within 16 runs of victory, and 19 balls still remained.
Shami sent down a maiden, and when Zaheer came on to bowl the penultimate over of the day, South Africa were still 16 adrift and India were in search of three wickets. With the fielders back on the fence, the single was on offer, but Philander turned it down, wanting to keep the strike and not expose his partner.
When Shami began the final over of the greatest run chase of all time – it mattered not a jot that South Africa did not get past the line – the magic number for the home side was still 16. With only two runs coming off the first five balls, Steyn smacked the last one for six, but by then the fate of the game had been decided.
The dramatic final passage of play ensured that the other big talking point of the day, the dismissal of Kallis (34) adjudged lbw to Zaheer off a delivery that the batsman had clearly hit, was largely forgotten.
Zaheer will remember the dismissal, for it made him only the second Indian medium-pacer, after Kapil Dev, to rack up 300 wickets in Tests.
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Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
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Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
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DUBAI CARNIVAL RESULTS
6.30pm Handicap US$135,000 (Turf) 2,410m
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Winner Laser Show, Kevin Stott, Saeed bin Suroor.
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Winner Glorious Journey, James Doyle, Charlie Appleby.
9.25pm Handicap $135,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner George Villiers, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Fixtures and results:
Wed, Aug 29:
- Malaysia bt Hong Kong by 3 wickets
- Oman bt Nepal by 7 wickets
- UAE bt Singapore by 215 runs
Thu, Aug 30:
- UAE bt Nepal by 78 runs
- Hong Kong bt Singapore by 5 wickets
- Oman bt Malaysia by 2 wickets
Sat, Sep 1: UAE v Hong Kong; Oman v Singapore; Malaysia v Nepal
Sun, Sep 2: Hong Kong v Oman; Malaysia v UAE; Nepal v Singapore
Tue, Sep 4: Malaysia v Singapore; UAE v Oman; Nepal v Hong Kong
Thu, Sep 6: Final
Women’s World T20, Asia Qualifier
UAE results
Beat China by 16 runs
Lost to Thailand by 10 wickets
Beat Nepal by five runs
Beat Hong Kong by eight wickets
Beat Malaysia by 34 runs
Standings (P, W, l, NR, points)
1. Thailand 5 4 0 1 9
2. UAE 5 4 1 0 8
3. Nepal 5 2 1 2 6
4. Hong Kong 5 2 2 1 5
5. Malaysia 5 1 4 0 2
6. China 5 0 5 0 0
Final
Thailand v UAE, Monday, 7am
Zayed Sustainability Prize
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
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THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick
Hometown: Cologne, Germany
Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)
Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes
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Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk
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Produced: Lionsgate Films, Shanghai Ryui Entertainment, Street Light Entertainment
Directed: Roland Emmerich
Cast: Ed Skrein, Woody Harrelson, Dennis Quaid, Aaron Eckhart, Luke Evans, Nick Jonas, Mandy Moore, Darren Criss
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
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Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
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Director: Ismael Ferroukhi
Stars: Zakaria Inan, Sabrina Ouazani
3 stars
