It may not have appealed to your cricketing taste buds. But the sight of Dale Steyn firing on all cylinders and Mitchell Johnson hurling 'thunderbolts' at 150 kmph must have more than made up for the spineless batting display of two teams struggling away from home.
Johnson's 'fast and furious' show reduced a hapless England to rubble, while Steyn, rated as the best and the quickest on Planet Cricket, left India's vaunted batting line-up in a tizzy with his lethal pace and bounce.
When Rohit Sharma eventually did put bat to ball after playing and missing 16 deliveries from Steyn, there was a 'mini-applause' from a 'sympathetic' crowd at the Bull Ring in Wanderers during the first ODI on Thursday.
It was good to see genuine fast bowling staging a strong comeback. Former Pakistan skipper Imran Khan had apprehended that if fast bowlers, a dying breed, are not nursed properly they would soon become dinosaurs.
With flat pitches and excessive cricket hounding modern-day cricketers, Imran sure has a point, but even the ruggedly handsome Pathan would have been delighted to watch a brilliant exhibition of genuine pace bowling by these two outstanding bowlers in either hemisphere.
Interestingly, Steyn has bowled 15 overs in the two ODIs, giving away merely 42 runs while taking six wickets, for an average of 7 and an economy rate of 2.80. This means he is 'consuming' an Indian batsman every 15 balls.
Johnson, on the other hand, has 17 wickets in two Ashes Tests at an average of just 12.70, and he is currently devouring an England batsman every 28 balls. Not since Shane Warne has any Australian bowler troubled the Poms more.
Both have reasons to be fired up. Apart from having a reputation to live up to, Steyn remains a fiercely competitive cricketer who takes enormous pride in playing for his country.
The battle between the No. 1 (SA) and No. 2 (India) Test sides in the world is as big a stage as any for Steyn to prove that his team stands head and shoulders above any other side.
Johnson too had a reason to have his tail up. After being ignored by Australian selectors in the Ashes series in England earlier this year, critics had virtually written him off.
A fruitful stint in the IPL and Champions League T20 for the Mumbai Indians, followed by a few incisive spells in ODIs on dead Indian pitches were enough for 'Mitch' to get back to his best.
It is apparent both these 'speed guns' are giving their sides a sharp and defining edge and batsmen are shuddering at the mere prospect of facing them. They are also leaving psychological scars on rival batsmen, which might take a longer time to heal.
Just rewind and play Johnson's fiery spell at the Adelaide Oval where he single-handedly destroyed England in their first innings, claiming seven for 40. The drop-in pitch was anything but lively, yet Johnson was like a one-man army throwing hand grenades at Cook and Co.
It was intimidating stuff from Johnson. And England have capitulated in the same fashion as the West Indies had done in 1975-76 Down Under with Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson blowing away the Caribbean kings.
The manner in which Steyn toyed with Rohit in Johannesburg has set the tone for what is likely to be a forgettable tour of South Africa for India. Anyone trying to force the pace against him will have to pay the price.
With the Tests up next, the worst may be yet to come. It would be uncharitable not to mention the support cast. Ryan Harris, Peter Siddle, Morne Morkel, Vernon Philander and Lonwabo Tsotsobe too have played their parts, enjoying the 'kill' after batsmen have been 'softened up' by high-quality pace.
For the moment, both the Indian and English batsmen could do with some sympathy. Johnson and Steyn have unleashed a 'pace war' out there. It would be interesting to see if someone dares to meet fire with fire. So, just sit back and enjoy the latest episode of the 'fast and furious.'
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