India VS South Africa

First topic message reminder :

Though am posting here bit late.

Indian team for South Africa has a bit of surprise with the coming of Jasprit Bumrah. He has not bowled with the red ball since January 2017. Indian team rarely go with a backup WK. Yeah this is a welcome call for Parthiv Patel, but I hardly see any chance of him padding up.

Rest the team is quite similar with Vijay, Rahul, Dhawan, Virat(c), Pujara, Rahane, Rohit, Saha, Parthiv, Ashwin, Jadeja, Hardik, Bhubhneshwar, Shami, Ishant, Umesh, Bumrah.

The final 11 selection would be tricky for Kohli, as he might go for only one spinner and this time its difficult to chose between Jadeja and Ashwin. I think Dhawan will be carrying drinks and Rahul will bat. The probable 11 would be

Vijay
Rahul
Pujara
Kohli(c)
Rahane
Hardik
Ashwin
Saha
Bhubhneshwar
Shami
Umesh/Bumrah

--Kohli in his zeal to take 20 wickets on tour....the touted big weakness of India in the past has overcompensated

--Been too lose with the batting, taking it for granted , and has too much of an aggressive mindset percolated into the team when its not necessary

--Ideally Rahane should have played every game and Rahane/ Rohit + 2 openers should have scored 60 runs more in every inning collectively

--WK should have been a batsamn WK whihc Saha isn't , Partiv is to a big extent, like of Ishan Kishan and Rishab Pant should have been groomed.
because he got away in Ind with Saha as a batsman, Kohli took the batting from WK spot for granted

--ashwin and Bhuvi should play every game....because they are quite competent with the bat not when thrown at No.6 but at 8 & 9

Kohli juts took these useful 20s & 30s that technically proper top order batsman and WK+Ashwin+Bhuvi would deliver for granted

and in these low scoring games these 60-80 odd extra runs per inning.......is the margin of win / defeat

South Africa just have to get to 250 and they’ll be in complete control.

Tough job, though, on this wicket. The outfield is ridiculously slow as well.

--The pitch is really difficult....balls seaming like square turning leg and off breaks with a lot of bounce

--Rahul & Rahane were unlucky.....but compesated for luck to Pujara and Kohli...Bhuvi's 30 runs were worth gold
Pujara's was the gut/ sweat/ patience inning that wins test matches on such difficult pitches

--India will bowl well...but on these pitches +/-30 runs is too many and in both tests Ind has failed DeVilliers test...he scores these quick 30s to 60s and takes the game away in dofficult conditions.
Ind muts get him cheaply ands make SA sweat for every run.....

hard to predict much more at this time

On a very diffcult pitch...there have been edges and chances...but India guilty of letting them score too many easy runs....
you have to choke them for runs
Plug the 3rd man and fine leg for a start

and DO NOT LET ABDV get away

Great batting from Amla and Rabada. 75 runs in 25 overs on this pitch is a superb return, especially with only two wickets lost.

And, as India got demoralised, the wicket became just a little bit easier to bat on.

South Africa trail by 106 with 7 wickets left - Amla and ABDV at the crease

India need to strike early you’d think

ABDV trapped LBW on 0, but the umpire doesn’t raise the finger.

More astonishingly, India (with two in the bank) don’t review.

Doesn't cost them though. Bhuvi goes straight through him with a lovely full inswinger. Rather loose from ABDV, but that's the way he plays. Huge wicket for India, puts them right back in the game, with SA still only just under halfway to their total.

¨last two clean bowled wickets of Faf and DeVilliers show how dificult this pitch is
those were like square turning deliveries on a spinning minefield.....except that these were at 135 and 145kph

Agree, it's a really tough pitch to bat on. Interesting that of only 5 batsmen to reach double figures in the match so far, they've all gone on to at least 30, and two of those are tail-enders.

Amla producing a masterclass on this wicket. India’s over rate dreadful.

Tight game!

Amla goes....terrificly even fight......they have some good lower order batters, who can pull them out still
shami has been the weak link
and Kohli erring in going back to him.......use Pandya....let shami be at long leg and give him a shot in secibd inning

8 down with 12 runs still in arrears...too close to call
India has to play their best inning of the tour in the 3rd inning of this test

7 run lead for SA....single inning shoot out......

Rahul, Rahane and Pandya need to stand up and deliver

Yep, one innings shoot-out.

Doubt the pitch will deteriorate much, so the 4th innings factor isn’t that great. Have to favour South Africa narrowly.

Parthiv was a tactical move that almost paid off

India has to keep going on...without any target in mind

Pithc is still seaming-at-square-angles with a LOT of bounce.....anything between 150-250 is both defend-able and chasable

above 250 you'd favour India...but that's far far away
the game in not lost even with 150

South Africa bowling too short, and India are starting to get ahead.

Effectively 31/1.

I doubt SA will want to be chasing anything above 180 on this wicket.

Fewer than 80 overs bowled in a day lasting 6 hours and 20 minutes (accounting for change of innings). Appalling, even considering the all-seam attack of both sides.

Anyway, good start by India. They’re ahead but, as is ever the case in low-scoring tests, only narrowly. Add Sir Geoff’s two wickets and the tale is quite different.

India will be very happy with that, effectively 42/1 with Rahul and Vijay digging in very nicely indeed. SA didn't bowl that well TBH, far too many balls that could be comfortably left alone.

Still plenty in the pitch, and it's more than possible SA will get it right tomorrow and roll India over, but right now you'd have to give the tourists a slight edge...

Duty281 wrote:Fewer than 80 overs bowled in a day lasting 6 hours and 20 minutes (accounting for change of innings). Appalling, even considering the all-seam attack of both sides.

I'm going to sound like a again, but until the authorities take actual measures against this, nothing will change. It was clear on their tour to England that SA were doing it quite deliberately to allow their seamers a longer rest (in terms of time) between spells. There was one session in particular where they bowled 23 overs with the three seamers (the only ones they'd picked) sharing 21 of them, on a seaming pitch. If they bowled at the required 15 per hour, the spinner would have had to bowl quite a bit more, thereby (presumably) relieving some of the pressure.

Seems India have largely followed suit in this series.

Mike used to say the sides he coached got through 15 overs per hour for one simple reason: they practised it. Of course, at that level, the punishments were much more severe (overs lost in the chase if you were behind when bowling first, run penalties if bowling second) and actually enforced. If they came up with proper penalties for failing to bowl 90 overs in a day (i.e. severe run penalties), sides would make sure they got their overs in.

There were 3 injury stoppages and plenty of DRS and some other 3 umpire referral
That would account for 5 overs plus 2 over for inning Change and fall of 10 wkts
Would mean maybe 3overs short

Two breakthroughs this morning, including the crucial wicket of Pujara.

Lead up to 64. Kohli is key!

Balls are spitting and jumping off a length and hitting the batsmen

There was about 3 or 4 such stoppages yesterday and a couple so far today

Commentators like Holding are talking about How Unfit the pitch is for cricket and indirectly implying game could be / should be stopped


Well I don't think its so bad that the game should be stopped......
I have seen far more deadly spitting Cobras in the subcontinet, although to spinners

I did see a piece of pitch fly off to one of the fast bowlers deliveries
The pitch is deteriorating to become uneven in a rare way......that some ball instead of keeping low are flying off the length and bouncing too much

Well, I have been all for pitches, if they favour any discipline, it should be the bowler. Every run scored on this track is absolute gold, the batsmen have been well and truly tested. But this wicket, well, I wouldn't want it to be the norm! Even the South African commentators suggesting it might be even too dangerous to continue.
Considering all that, and the kind of attack they are facing, splendid effort so far from Vijay and Kohli...

KPF, we've had spitting pitches, but for spinners as you said. The danger elemant for batsmen wasn't quite there. When thy spit one ball and shoot along the ground the next at 140 KPH, well it is rather different. But anyways, they are indeed going on...

Wow, Rabada produces a fantastic yorker to change the game on the precipice of lunch.

Would be surprised if the game were abandoned owing to the pitch. Odd ball misbehaving? Yes. But it’s not remotely comparable to the example that Holding used (1998 Wi v Eng).

Duty281 wrote:Wow, Rabada produces a fantastic yorker to change the game on the precipice of lunch.

Would be surprised if the game were abandoned owing to the pitch. Odd ball misbehaving? Yes. But it’s not remotely comparable to the example that Holding used (1998 Wi v Eng).

Yeah...it's not in the unplayable category....and actually quite far from it.

Vijay's dismissal was owing to the doubts created in his mind by the pitch.....was juts hanging around there in the crease...trying to stay leg side of the ball instead of coming right behind...to encounter the one that would jump up suddenly

The match itself.......in the balance....neither side has been allowed to get ahead of the other
Rahane has to work out a hard working 25 odd......and Pandya must go for his shots......even a rapid 30 odd from him will help

200 would be very hard to chase...but given the presence of stroke players ABDV, QDK and Amala.........SA won't be out of it until the lead is 250...which I don't see India getting to

Lead up to 102. India are in the boxseat just now I'd say as this pitch is not going to get any better from here on in. Even if they can post a target of 175 I would make India the favourites.

the 4th seamer has bowled only 6 overs....and 5th has bowled ZERO

you do not need 5 seamers or even 5 bowlers for a pitch like this, 4 are enuf
Both teams missing the opportunity to have an extra batsman

I actually think this pitch is getting easier to bat on...or maybe that’s a fault of the South African bowling? Sure, it’s still very tough out there, but ball movement doesn’t look as extreme as it did on days 1 and 2.

Regardless of that, India are getting ahead.

Oh Kohli gone. Huge! What a ball from Rabada.

Kohli bowled. India 134 for 5 and have a lead of 127. I'd still rather be in India's shoes just now.

Rabada bowls a big spinning off-break like delivery at 90mph to clean bowl Kohli...exceptional delivery

Pandya caught and bowled by Rabada. India now 148 for 6 and lead by 141.

Rabada dragging his side back into it.

Last 4 wickets need to go for sub-40 runs for the Saffers to be favourites.

India needs Rahane to bat through.......how classy and technically correct he has looked with his straight and cover drives
and other have to bat around him with useful 15s and 10s and 5s

Even Rahane getting hit of unplayable balls. There was no way he could have avoided that! Did everything right, yet the ball kept climbing and hit him. Umpires had a conversation, but they are going on. Kohli wants them to stay, he fancies India's chances here...
Don't think Virat should risk his bowlers here, will be impossible for them to handle this pitch if they have to bat... They should declare when Bhuvi or Rahane gets the one with their name on it and then have a crack at the SA batsmen.

msp83 wrote:Even Rahane getting hit of unplayable balls. There was no way he could have avoided that! Did everything right, yet the ball kept climbing and hit him. Umpires had a conversation, but they are going on. Kohli wants them to stay, he fancies India's chances here...
Don't think Virat should risk his bowlers here, will be impossible for them to handle this pitch if they have to bat... They should declare when Bhuvi or Rahane gets the one with their name on it and then have a crack at the SA batsmen.

Yes that seems like the sensible approach. A win looks more likely for India now than South Africa. The thing is if the pitch carries on in this vein and South African players complain a bit more (if they lose a few wickets) and the game is abandoned that would cause great controversy.

South Africa losing the plot a bit, 2 drops in 2 overs. Both should have been taken but Elgar lettingdown Morkel and Phehlukwayo doing the same to Rabada.

India adding critical runs are 195 for 6 and lead by 188 runs. If they were favourites before then they are not becoming warm favourites.

Poor in the field and running out of ideas.

Rahane battling superbly.

Bat every one of 11 guys......no one will die with so much protective gear
not every ball is climbing
not one in every over either
one in every 3rd or 4th or 5th over jumps up.....

This is a test match.,...an overseas test match against SA in their conditions against a top quality pace attack.... and a win here would be rare one in Indian test history....we've gotta give EVERYTHING WE HAVE

SA dropped two dolly catches.......and are under pressure....stretch the lead to 200 and then 220 and 250 if we can.....

Put it beyond SA

Rahane’s innings is the blueprint for how the South African batsmen should play in the second innings.

Anything above 250, I feel, is game over.

Ajinkya Rahane has been caught down the leg side at last. Disappointing way for him to go, but what an innings from Ajinkya!! Rohit Sharma can't play a knock like this even in his dreams!!

India batting on, Shami out to the middle. He has taken 10 wickets in the series, but has not really led the attack like he used to and often let down his bowling partners by giving away easy runs. Can he slog a few important runs here?

the last 3 wickets need to add a reasonbale 25 runs more

I'd say India would be gutted if they lose the test match from here. They are 206 for 7 with a lead of 199. India have batted with great steel and guts. South Africa will go into bat with the series already won - not the right frame of mind on such a pitch.

Lungi Ngidi has been seriously underbowled by South Africa in the 2nd innings. Phehlukwayo was brought on just as an afterthought. Should India have played Ashwin ahead of Shami here? Playing Limited Overs FTB Rohit Sharma wouldn't have added anything of value to India, but Ashwin might just have been able to use the developing cracks on the pitch to his advantage perhaps and surely is a better bet with the bat than Sharma in tests on challenging tracks.
Shami smacking a monster one out of the ground, hopefully he can connect a few more...

India's No. 8 and 9 have scored 31* and 24*
is the pitch really that bad

Ind need to squeeze out another 5 to 10 runs from last 2 wikcts
Shami's most valuable 25 runs ever