*Official* - Road to India in South Africa - 2010-11

[morgieb]

India to win the series. This is the best ever Indian squad to tour SA. And SA aren't doing great against Pak either.

Can't really see India winning this series, myself. Yeah SA haven't been that good against Pakistan but one could also say the same thing about India v NZ. Also, SA fast bowlers >>> Indian fast bowlers.

 

[biased indian]

Viru was roughed up by the Aussies on pitches where the ball rarely got above knee height and the thought of him against a 6' 6" 150 k Morkel is not good and Dravid is simply not the player he was and in danger of going on 1 series too long

do you want to do an avatar bet one month

i say sehwag + Dravid will out score any 2 players you select from SA side in the coming series

 

[GotSpin]

India to win the series. This is the best ever Indian squad to tour SA. And SA aren't doing great against Pak either.

India really comprehensively defeated NZ throughout the series didn't they

 

[Shri]

India really comprehensively defeated NZ throughout the series didn't they

An innings and 200 runs victory with the slightest bit of help from the pitch. Would have been massacred if the pitches were better in the other two tests.

 

[bagapath]

Pakistan v South Africa: Smith finger injury may rule him out of India series | Cricket News | Pakistan v South Africa | ESPN Cricinfo

this is the kind of thing i hate! the SA captain runs away from the worldbeating attack of sreesanth, bhaji, sharma, zak and the great ojha three weeks before the series begins; the No.1 team is going to steamroll SA 3-0 anyway. but the No. 1 team's critics would always cite smith's injury as an excuse for the defeat! why cant things be more challenging for the no.1 team?

 

[M0rphin3]

Can't really see India winning this series, myself. Yeah SA haven't been that good against Pakistan but one could also say the same thing about India v NZ. Also, SA fast bowlers >>> Indian fast bowlers.

Don't rate them based on their performances in flat subcontinent conditions. Zaheer Khan has been in top form offlate, that too in flat wickets. An attack of Ishanth, Zaheer & Sreesanth will be more than handy in SA conditions.

Also Indian batsmen >>>> SA batsmen.

India really comprehensively defeated NZ throughout the series didn't they

Those were relatively flatter tracks, and NZ did well, I should admit. Indian attack is extremely effective in bowler friendly conditions and usually batsmen step up to the task such tough circumstances.

 

[M0rphin3]

An innings and 200 runs victory with the slightest bit of help from the pitch. Would have been massacred if the pitches were better in the other two tests.

Slightest bit is an understatement IMO, ball was turning square in the 4th innings.

 

[GotSpin]

Don't rate them based on their performances in flat subcontinent conditions. Zaheer Khan has been in top form offlate, that too in flat wickets. An attack of Ishanth, Zaheer & Sreesanth will be more than handy in SA conditions.

Also Indian batsmen >>>> SA batsmen.



Those were relatively flatter tracks, and NZ did well, I should admit. Indian attack is extremely effective in bowler friendly conditions and usually batsmen step up to the task such tough circumstances.

SA bowlers comfortably better than India.

Indian batsmen aren't that far ahead. 3 of them untested or have failed on bouncy wickets. Not sure how Dhoni went though

 

[Prince EWS]

Don't rate them based on their performances in flat subcontinent conditions.

Yet doing so for South Africa is okay, even though they play a lot less there?

Really, I wouldn't be reading too much into either the Pakistan or the New Zealand series.

 

[M0rphin3]

SA bowlers comfortably better than India.

Indian batsmen aren't that far ahead. 3 of them untested or have failed on bouncy wickets. Not sure how Dhoni went though

SA bowlers are better than Indian bowlers obviously, but not by a huge margin. Indian bowlers do well in bowler friendly conditions.

Indian batsmen don't have a great record in SA, but given their splendid form (though in subcontinent), I'd expect them to do well in SA.

Yet doing so for South Africa is okay, even though they play a lot less there?

Really, I wouldn't be reading too much into either the Pakistan or the New Zealand series.

Naah, I meant Steyn used to do so well in subcontinent conditions, but now it seems he's not doing that well after injury, against a depleted pak side. Obviously I wouldn't be reading much into it either.

 

[M0rphin3]

Should be a great series anyways, can't wait.

 

[Jono]

South Africa will likely beat India, but make no mistake, South Africa's inability to beat Pakistan without Asif, Aamer and Yousuf is nothing short of a disgrace. Don't pretend otherwise.

Fact of the matter is when the series was one the line, India made sure they a) did not lose the first test, and b) won the third test, and comfortably.

That's the sign of a very good team, no matter how many people want to pretend that they aren't. People can talk about the 5/15 all they like, at the end of the day India never even looked like losing that match 40 minutes into day 5 of the first test.

 

[morgieb]

Don't rate them based on their performances in flat subcontinent conditions. Zaheer Khan has been in top form offlate, that too in flat wickets. An attack of Ishanth, Zaheer & Sreesanth will be more than handy in SA conditions.

Also Indian batsmen >>>> SA batsmen.

Well yeah, but it the gap between India and SA batsman isn't as big as you think. Kallis, Smith (if fit), Amla and de Villiers are all class acts, plus, risking sounding like a broken record, play on much more seamer friendly tracks.

 

[vcs]

Yet doing so for South Africa is okay, even though they play a lot less there?

Really, I wouldn't be reading too much into either the Pakistan or the New Zealand series.

Nothing more really needs to be said. The conditions will be so vastly different as to make any speculation irrelevant. It all depends on how quickly India can adapt.

 

[Shri]

Kallis=Tendulkar overall, SRT ahead atm due to form.
Sehwag > Smith on form and we don't know if Smith will play now that he has had yet another finger fracture(learn to do it right ffs)
Amla > Gambhir
Dravid = ABdV based on form(AB slightly better)
Dhoni = Boucher
Pujara > Alviro Petersen

Batting is pretty much even between both sides but SA have a significant advantage in the bowling department with Steyn in their side. But I expect our bowlers to put up a fight. Could be a 1-1 result imo.

 

[Jono]

Nothing more really needs to be said. The conditions will be so vastly different as to make any speculation irrelevant. It all depends on how quickly India can adapt.

Nah I'll read something from the recent series. If the series is 1-1 or 0-0 going into the third test, and South Africa need to take a minor risk of losing to win, they won't do it.

 

[morgieb]

imo....

Sehwag > Smith
Gambhir > Petersen (neither of whom are that great, mind)
Amla = Dravid
SRT > Kallis (on batting alone, mind - take bowling into account and Kallis is more useful)
de Villiers > Laxman
Prince > Raina or someone else.
Dhoni = Boucher
Harbajhan > Botha
Steyn > Zaheer
Morkel > Sreesanth
Sharma > random 3rd seamer

 

[vcs]

Nah I'll read something from the recent series. If the series is 1-1 or 0-0 going into the third test, and South Africa need to take a minor risk of losing to win, they won't do it.

Technically, they're playing an away series though. Probably would be more proactive playing at home.

 

[Jono]

Would be less inclined to risk India, a far better batting lineup than Pakistan, chasing down a score and losing a test series at home IMO.

 

[marc71178]

Technically, they're playing an away series though. Probably would be more proactive playing at home.

Sorry, you are aware this is SA you're talking about?