*Official* India in South Africa

[Manee]

PK should ALWAYS be our 3rd seamer.. It is a no-brainer really... Sometimes doing the hard grind domestically really does build you up well for international cricket.

Ooh, no. I'm unsure about that - is Praveen any good with the old ball?

 

[honestbharani]

I strongly dislike players trying to hook left handed fast bowlers. The angle makes the shot ridiculously risky.

he was bowling around the wicket though, wasn't he?

 

[honestbharani]

Mmm. Only watched the last ten overs or so but I'm getting the impression Steyn's made the deck look much worse than it is.

No way.. If anything Morkel, Kallis and Tsotsobe making it look MUCH better than it is by bowling so short..

 

[honestbharani]

Ah, I see. It's probably just that I've only seen them bowl since the ball got old but it's not like the ball's going past the bat much or anything. The dismissals I've caught have been loose shots and that obscene catch.

Did you notice that the lengths they bowled were rather short too? Apart from Steyn, that is.. Even Kallis was pretty short of good length most of the time..

 

[Manee]

I strongly dislike players trying to hook left handed fast bowlers. The angle makes the shot ridiculously risky.

Hmmm, may have to try the bouncer, myself, more often. But yes, honestbharani was right, he was bowling around the wicket. But that is valid too, I guess, because he was delivering from a wide angle.

 

[honestbharani]

Hmmm, may have to try the bouncer, myself, more often. But yes, honestbharani was right, he was bowling around the wicket. But that is valid too, I guess, because he was delivering from a wide angle.

I juz think at Tsotsobe's pace, the ball was just getting more of the spongy bounce.. This deck is definitely not the usual quick Durban thing we have seen before.. This has very spongy bounce and is offering a LOT of movement and the slower you seem to bowl, the more you seem to get in terms of swing or seam.. Let's see how it goes. It definitely looked like Pujara went for the ball earlier than it came to him..

 

[Manee]

I juz think at Tsotsobe's pace, the ball was just getting more of the spongy bounce.. This deck is definitely not the usual quick Durban thing we have seen before.. This has very spongy bounce and is offering a LOT of movement and the slower you seem to bowl, the more you seem to get in terms of swing or seam.. Let's see how it goes. It definitely looked like Pujara went for the ball earlier than it came to him..

Tsotsobe seems to have a very gentle release, if I may make up a totally unscientific term. He doesn't bang the ball into the pitch, it just sorta comes out of his hand and I do feel that kind of release is conducive to the slow, spongy bounce that has undone the Indians. I can see someone like Sreesanth getting the same sort of bounce, at the similar pace and release to Tsotsobe - would certainly rather see Sreesanth pitch the ball up more than Tsotsobe has, though. With Pujara and with the other top edges, it is the bounce that has done them more than the pace, they have seen a short ball, reacted early, but just not got on top of the bounce. I dunno, I'm optimistic about Ishant, Sreesanth and Zaheer to exploit this facet of the pitch. A 600/1 declared is always a possibility with this Indian attack, don't get me wrong, but I am optimistic.

 

[honestbharani]

Tsotsobe seems to have a very gentle release, if I may make up a totally unscientific term. He doesn't bang the ball into the pitch, it just sorta comes out of his hand and I do feel that kind of release is conducive to the slow, spongy bounce that has undone the Indians. I can see someone like Sreesanth getting the same sort of bounce, at the similar pace and release to Tsotsobe - would certainly rather see Sreesanth pitch the ball up more than Tsotsobe has, though. With Pujara and with the other top edges, it is the bounce that has done them more than the pace, they have seen a short ball, reacted early, but just not got on top of the bounce. I dunno, I'm optimistic about Ishant, Sreesanth and Zaheer to exploit this facet of the pitch. A 600/1 declared is always a possibility with this Indian attack, don't get me wrong, but I am optimistic.

CW needs to be rid of optimistic people like you..
Where's SS and his anti-jinxing when you need it the most? The series is done and dusted unless SS hits form, forget the bowlers, batsmen and fielders..

 

[Manee]

CW needs to be rid of optimistic people like you..
Where's SS and his anti-jinxing when you need it the most? The series is done and dusted unless SS hits form, forget the bowlers, batsmen and fielders..

C'mon, I was sure you'd be familiar of the double jinx!

 

[Xuhaib]

No way.. If anything Morkel, Kallis and Tsotsobe making it look MUCH better than it is by bowling so short..

Agreed SA apart from Steyn were very poor reckon an Anderson or an Asif alongside Steyn would have bundled India out under 120 on this track Morkal looks very ordinary when he has to pitch it up.

 

[honestbharani]

Agreed SA apart from Steyn were very poor reckon an Anderson or an Asif alongside Steyn would have bundled India out under 120 on this track Morkal looks very ordinary when he has to pitch it up.

The CURRENT (I mean the one playing at MCG) English attack would be a nightmare for ANY batting side.. That said, still think India would have done better than what Australia did..

And Smith is amazingly defensive as a captain. There is a reason why I don't think SL or SA will EVER be a dominant team even if they had the kind of players others did.. They just think waaay too defensively. Even Dhoni is rather defensive but he is not at their levels.. I mean, WTF was that having a deep cover when India were 70 odd for 3 and Laxman had just come in???

 

[honestbharani]

C'mon, I was sure you'd be familiar of the double jinx!

Only when it works..

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Saw a bit of this earlier while dozing on settee, Steyn is just too good for them and is clearly head and shoulders above any other paceman in the world at present.

Would imagine this will be another S.A. win so they'll close the gap at the top of the rankings.

 

[Manee]

I back India to win this, I have faith in our bowlers on this deck! It could be fantastically mistaken, but I think we're looking at 1-1 going into the final Test.

But yeah, Steyn is too good against everyone except England.

 

[Xuhaib]

I back India to win this, I have faith in our bowlers on this deck! It could be fantastically mistaken, but I think we're looking at 1-1 going into the final Test.

But yeah, Steyn is too good against everyone except England.

yeah reckon its pitch more suited to sub cont and English seamers rather then SA or Australia fast bowlers.Steyn is just so good that he gets something out of any track.

 

[Manee]

My brother raised the point today that Steyn is often average when he's not quite clicking, rhythm wise and is bowling 80-85mph. However, I disagreed. I think that part of what makes Steyn brilliant is that, even when not in rhythm, he just throws the ball very full, looking for swing and often finds that magic delivery (very full, that looks to be hitting leg and then swings and hits off or catches the edge) when operating at a lower speed. Anyway, just a misc. note, there.

 

[Blaze 18]

The good thing about Steyn is (bad thing if you are supporting the side he is playing against) that he never seems to have a freaking bad game! The likes of Mohammad Asif, James Anderson, Mohammad Aamer et al do have a bad game every now and again, but not Steyn.

 

[Xuhaib]

The good thing about Steyn is (bad thing if you are supporting the side he is playing against) that he never seems to have a freaking bad game! The likes of Mohammad Asif, James Anderson, Mohammad Aamer et al do have a bad game every now and again, but not Steyn.

averaged 45 vs Pakistan

 

[Manee]

averaged 45 vs Pakistan

In the first Test, took two wickets. Not too bad when you consider that just three wickets were taken in Pakistan's second innings. In the second Test, he took four in the first innings. I'd consider that one average game and one good game.

 

[Blaze 18]

averaged 45 vs Pakistan

I forgot the Pakistan series!