*Official* India in South Africa

[kingkallis]

Soo....

Does anyone think Zaheer will magically transform our attack? Sreesanth and Ishant still look toothless. Man, this is going to be a long series. It's depressing to see all our top batsmen playing so far below their career averages in SA. They just seem to own us.

Zaheer certainly will add some value and self-belief in current bowling line up. They will be more confident knowing that Zak is there as well.

 

[joels344]

Yes, he should have shown the right attitude by protecting the tail and knocking off those 25-30 runs.

Who even says he could have knocked off those runs in the first place? Steyn or Morkel would have gotten Sreesanth or Unadkat. I mean, you might as well give those guys some more batting experience.

 

[0RI0N]

Indian fans you have 2 remember 1 thing:
SA has their own Fab4.
Smith and Kallis together with Amla and AB are an awesome batting line up.
Easily the best in the world.
The only test playing nation that has won in every test nation.
The only one.


Series in 06/07 SA won the series with very little contributions from Amla and AB.
For now though
South Africa : 1 up.
Deal with it

 

[vcs]

Even for a batsman of Tendulkar's ability, it's not possible to block out five balls and work the single on the sixth at will.

 

[Ruckus]

Who even says he could have knocked off those runs in the first place? Steyn or Morkel would have gotten Sreesanth or Unadkat. I mean, you might as well give those guys some more batting experience.

That's a bit of a joke argument tbh. More batting practice, are you kidding?

 

[kingkallis]

lol

 

[Blaze 18]

Indian fans you have 2 remember 1 thing:
SA has their own Fab4.
Smith and Kallis together with Amla and AB are an awesome batting line up.
Easily the best in the world.
The only test playing nation that has won in every test nation.
The only one.


Series in 06/07 SA won the series with very little contributions from Amla and AB.
For now though
South Africa : 1 up.
Deal with it

Well done on the win. I would, however, wait a little before proclaiming this side to be the best in the world. Their recent series :

Drawn series vs Pakistan in UAE
Drawn series in India
Drawn series vs England at home
Series loss to Australia at home

As for the bolded bit, that is indeed impressive if it is true. Just out of interest, where haven't Australia/England won ?

 

[nexxus]

This whole Tendy kerfuffle is a bit like arguing that it was utterly disgraceful that the contractors had used Cherrywood instead of Beechwood for the doors......after the building's collapsed.

 

[Ruckus]

There is no doubt in my mind this SA line-up is currently the best in the world. Their results might not overtly show that, but their team balance and talent is more than any other side at the moment. Their batting line-up is equal to India's imo (who are said to have the best in the world) plus they have far better bowlers than India.

England isn't really close to being the no. 1 side imo. They are currently in peak form as a team, but I don't think they will maintain that over long periods.

As for Australia, the team might have the potential to challenge the no. 1 spot, but only if key players like Ponting can get back to form. As of now, there is still a long way to go for Australia to reach those heights again.

 

[Shri]

Well, that was not as bad as it could have been in the end. Highest ever second innings total in an innings defeat apparently. Were completely outplayed by a better side who had luck with them. Should accept it, go back and hit the nets hard and come back with some intent for the next 2 games. Going to take a lot of effort to draw the series.

 

[vcs]

There is no doubt in my mind this SA line-up is currently the best in the world. Their results might not overtly show that, but their team balance and talent is more than any other side at the moment. Their batting line-up is equal to India's imo (who are said to have the best in the world) plus they have far better bowlers than India.

England isn't really close to being the no. 1 side imo. They are currently in peak form as a team, but I don't think they will maintain that over long periods.

As for Australia, the team might have the potential to challenge the no. 1 spot, but only if key players like Ponting can get back to form. As of now, there is still a long way to go for Australia to reach those heights again.

Yeah, on peak performance, it is hard to argue against SA. England must have done damn well to draw here last year. Wasn't Steyn unfit/missing for one or two games in that series?

SA aren't able to close out as many series wins as they'd like, though.

 

[kingkallis]

Well done on the win. I would, however, wait a little before proclaiming this side to be the best in the world. Their recent series :

Drawn series vs Pakistan in UAE

Drawn series in India

Drawn series vs England at home

Series loss to Australia at home

As for the bolded bit, that is indeed impressive if it is true. Just out of interest, where haven't Australia/England won ?

Drawn series vs Pakistan in UAE ( You try and win a game with Marshall, Ambrose, McGrath, Akram and Warne on those AD roads dude. Even Misbah scored a hundred there )

Drawn series in India ( Square turners, twice They cant blame us for that though )

Drawn series vs England at home ( I agree )

Series loss to Australia at home ( I agree )

 

[Ruckus]

SA aren't able to close out as many series wins as they'd like, though.

Don't speak too soon

 

[Ruckus]

Series loss to Australia at home ( I agree )

They also won in Australia by the same margin though, so it kind of cancels out.

 

[honestbharani]

Kallis double hundred; Tendulkar 100 odd not out playing for red ink. Oh I love it.

lol.. I thought Kallis could have accelerated more too, but he wanted the red ink and double hundred and with the position his team was in and with the way ABDV was going at the other end, I guess that was somewhat justifiable...

 

[kingkallis]

Sachin is just 245 runs away from taking one more record on his name.

MoYo - 1788 runs in 2006 ( 9 hundreds )
SRT - 1543 runs in 2010 ( 7 hundreds )

 

[vcs]

Don't speak too soon

Eh, they've never had a problem against India anyway... no danger of any jinxes there.

 

[honestbharani]

I understand all of that and I agree with that as well. You give 100% every single moment. But I still see no reason to criticize Sachin for not trying to score the extra runs. People are now saying he's not a team player. He played full out in the 2nd innings, but others lost wickets as well, which prevented them from making the match more of a contest.

lol.. I said I was disappointed he did not even try.. Maybe that is criticism but it is not that bad. The real fault is our whole batting and bowling line up in the first dig. But then again, I always give our guys leeway for the first battng and bowling performance of a series. India have played to type in the first test.. Let's hope they play to type in the remaining tests too, which would mean us drawing the next test and winning the last one..

 

[honestbharani]

How do you know that hitting out would have been the best option?

He could have hauled out for all you know.

I remember Laxman being criticised for giving Ishant the strike in the Famous win against Australia in the recent series.
I have to say i was guilty of that too at the time.

lol.. the match was at stake then and the result could have gone either way. Flat track as well and not such a great bowling line up.. And here, the issue is that we were ONLY 25 behind.. Surely, it is not that difficult for a guy of Sachin's class to score 25, even with #Jack for company???/


Look, the ones who are saying this about him, we accept that it is a minor thing and it is a minor criticism, at least from me. But people who keep defending him, you are completely missing the point. What Tendulkar did was the equivalent of someone lying down for the 10 count in boxing even though he was not COMPLETELY knocked out...

 

[Shri]

So what you are saying is he threw in the towel?