India in South Africa

Originally posted by MalhotraRaj84 Posted: 10 November 2010 at 6:39pm (From India vs NZ thread) .......................... Absolutely.Something about future SA tour..."India cannot lose Test series in SA this time , If at all some team can lose it is SA.Their best chance is to draw boit".

Though I was dead right about this series too, but I feel like we lost the series.There is absolutely no joy for me . India being so superior than any other test playing nation, they  should have won this series 2-1.
Yes most of the times, they played in more challenging conditions,still I back them to win even if wheather or pitch conditions or decesions are against them.

340 to score on final day ... they had to go for it, but they did not which was a real surprise for me.I woke up today morning and was absolutely sure that this team would go for victory and acheive it , but I was wrong.

This team needs some improvements
- Pujara is good , but he wasted chances in 2 test matches.Maybe Badrinath should be called back and play ahead of the likes of (Pujara,Kohli,Raina,Rohit).There is no loss in trying him, he is just about 30.The younger lot have time.
- Ishant might be replaced soon, if he remains inconsistent like this.
- I am not really sure of Rahul Dravid anymore.He is legend, but I fear his time has come.I hate to say that, I would love to see him bat for another 2 years, but than all good things has to end one day. Maybe it right time for him to play his last series in England and bow out gracefully.

Originally posted by zuhair_abbasi Thought a long break would have done any good 0 but it hasn't. And there is no Mystery here to accompany you either. Wont have a good time buddy.

Ok mate, I get what you mean, but if Moderators feel I post nothing but just crap then I will abstain from here.

And I also think you were not watching cricket last month in Abu Dhabi when you talk about helpful conditions and bowlers.

Originally posted by zuhair_abbasi And I also think you were not watching cricket last month in Abu Dhabi when you talk about helpful conditions and bowlers.

 

Edited by sam_ahmed - 07 January 2011 at 5:49pm

Regarding UDRS I too dont like it in many ways, lets take a case

Originally posted by sam_ahmed My God! one post Raj says he is FOR UDRS, very next post, he says he isn't for it!!!   Arguing with Raj is like banging your head on a wall...

I said I am for UDRS, but what I pointed out in next post was to say that there are certain cases which can go wrong and I dont like it.I said give all powers like hotspot,slo-mo,snicko and everything to onfeild umpires and let them take a call.

Good to see Spinny back after a break. I'm sure he will be excited about India touring WI later in the year in what will be a very big challenge for the Windies.

All set for Ntini's farewell game then... should be an absolute cracker of a game this. Will be played at one of those football WC stadiums. Have already informed my wife that there will be no sunday evening tonight... it's time to watch Makhaya for one last time!

Edited by sam_ahmed - 09 January 2011 at 6:59am

Originally posted by zuhair_abbasi Another display of defensive thinking by Smith - I am sure Sledge would have been disgusted by this - Smith should have declared ad bowled 5-6 overs last evening,

   You got that right mate - I was raging on Wednesday evening!   Nothing's changed , South Africa will always play conservatively - India were never going to get 340 on a day 5 pitch unless Sehwag played a blinder and he just didn't look the business on this tour.  I wasn't alone in wanting Steyn and Morkel to have a go in the last 30 minutes or so - plenty of locals were having a vent !  If Kallis hadn't got out to the last ball of the day I daresay they'd have carried on batting on Thursday!
       Anyway , up until the final hour on Wednesday , it was a terrific match with Kallis and Tendulkar playing so beautifully. Watching a fired up Steyn is a real treat - he was at the batsmen all the time and generated some serious pace.  Morkel was erratic and Sachin found him much easier to cope with - he left an awful lot of balls that passed harmlessly past his head and shoulders.  When he pitches up Morkel's a real threat , but he seems concerned about being driven and that nullifies his potency.
       Gambhir did well after shaky starts and was a far better player than his last visit . Sehwag doesn't fancy Steyn and looked a shadow of the player that annihilates all attacks in his homeland. There's a message there for all sides - leave some grass on and he'll be gone quickly!    VVS looked classy as well and his timing is extraordinary   he's got a few years left yet.
        The Indian attack did well in patches with Zaheer Khan the pick of the seamers. Ishant bowled so much dross and surely there's somebody out there to strengthen the attack. Sreesanth gave it everything , but his boorish behaviour really grates. When he's in the mood he takes wickets and shows he has something - when he's playing up he should be sent to bed early!     Harbhajan was excellent in the first innings and deserved his success but was less effective 2nd time around.   The pitch had some pace and bounce early in the match , but typically flattened out which probably was the reason.
         The critical phase in the match was when SA were on 130-6 and Boucher just at the wicket.  He's not had a score in ages and looked very nervous. What happened ? Ishant bowled 3 overs of complete rubbish and Boucher rapidly got to 20 - he didn't look back after that.  In that afternoon session India didn't bowl a single maiden and their fields simply gave them easy singles. The bowling was lacklustre and they just didn't seem interested - it wouldn't have happened like that if England were bowling.  It was very hot for the last 4 days , but the humidity is low and so it's not so draining. Khan noticeably wilted in his 3rd spell - barely medium pace and offered no threat at all.  It was very puzzling and was why India didn't win.
           Could SA win it on the 5th day - only if Steyn started with a bang.  Something like 12 of their last 20 test wins have come about because Steyn took at least a fivefer in a innings - when he doesn't get the results they don't win. Tsotobe is average and we know why he makes the side - Parnell is quicker and a much better bat as well. Harris has probably played his last test now that Tahir is qualified to play for SA. In a supersport match this week he took 7 wickets in the 2nd innings to lead his side to victory - he could even be in the one day side for the world cup. 
           SA will remain hamstrung until they use a spinner as an attacking force , stop relying on Steyn for all the wickets and set targets that at least will interest the opposition and give their attack time to win!


Edited by Sledger - 10 January 2011 at 6:03am

Well summed up Sledge - they definitely do over rely on Steyn and that is not going to pay off all the time. We saw that in the UAE as well when Steyn was not firing, Saffers attack looked toothless. They have to have an approach like the English team if they want to be the finest team around. they lack an aggressive mindset.

Good news if it was Harris's last test, have not seen Tahir but his recent form shows he must be good enough. For sure you can always be better than Harris. But Harris seems to have strong backing of Smith. Don't think they will look beyond Botha for the World Cup either.

RSA are all over IND in the first ODI, India 106/5 now chasing 290.

Hasim Amla now has an average close to 60 in the ODI's! while AB is as good a player as there is at the moment. I dare say that AB and Hashim are the world's best ODI batsmen at the moment.

We have been talking about Tahir and I have to say if he is anywhere near as good as I've heard he is then RSA have the best possible chance to win the WC this year. This team doesn't have any weaknesses.

That was a thorough hiding , India's batting was really awful. Tsotsobe is a decent seamer , but no more than that - India made him look like a world-beater!  I predict now that he'll flop at the World Cup and go for plenty!
               Amla looked pure class again without getting another hundred. de Villiers has talent by the bucketload and can turn a game on it's head - he's the matchwinner in the batting line up.  Some good stuff from Duminy as well - he knows he has to perform as there are people waiting to take his place.  That's unlikely to happen now and his little offbreaks will be useful in the subcontinent.
                 As for India , surely they can't play that poorly again - if they can't lift their game it will be 5-0.

Quite right , it was a pathetic thing to say.  Does he really think that the average Indian supporter will accept getting thrashed , shrug their shoulders and say "Everything's fine - the WC is in India"
            That line will wear thin very quickly if they do get beaten again in the next match.

India's biggest problem is bounce.  The likes of Vijay and Raina can't handle it and it's why you really have to appreciate Virat Kohli, he can pull well and I think India should have him in the test team instead of Raina, he bats with a very cool head, all good traits in test cricket.

As a team, RSA are complete Sledge. I really do not see any weaknesses in this team now that Imran Tahir will be their spinner. Fantastic top order (Smith and Amla) a very solid middle order (Kallis, AB, Duminy), world class pace bowlers (Morne and Steyn), Class spinner (Tahir),  just about everyone in the lower order can bat, and they don't even need parttimers to bowl, they do have 5 or 6 genuine bowers in the playing eleven. This is a terrific team!