*Official* India in South Africa

[taipan1]

Right, great day for India. Have to be favourites at this stage. Laxman is again the key.

 

[Manee]

I'd say it is 60/40 in favour of India. It is all about the Harbhajan batting factor.

 

[vcs]

Really don't know what to feel about this position of affairs. Had that dreadful feeling we would **** it up when I left after seeing the 8th wicket go and we've lost a couple more than I'd have liked. Very, very tricky situation but I hope we can somehow negotiate the first hour or so tomorrow without losing a wicket.

So gutted that I have to miss large swathes of this Test over the next day or two with some unavoidable work. Damn real life getting in the way of my following Test cricket.

 

[M0rphin3]

Some exciting times ahead really. Still feels Botha & Mclaren should have replaced Harris & Tsotsobe, would've added a lot of depth to their batting. Now it's pretty even, depends on how good they bat tomorrow.

 

[M0rphin3]

And good to see Pujara fighting it out in the middle, WAG my boy

 

[Blaze 18]

India will be a touch disappointed that they failed to drive home the advantage and shut South Africa out of the match completely, but I am certain they would have taken 164-4 at the start of the day's play. Who has the advantage ? I dunno. Maybe India, but only just. Another hundred runs would take India to a par score and you have to think they would need another fifty on top of that to feel safe. The good news for India is that tomorrow is supposed to be the best day for batting. It is imperative that they bat for at least fifty overs.

 

[Turbinator]

It's amazing how alike Tsotsobe and Ne-Yo look...

 

[vcs]

Well, the match has followed a similar script to this one, rather than this one (except that Australia's first innings collapse occurred after the openers had done the damage). So if things continue on similar lines, India will be feeling far from comfortable at the moment.

 

[M0rphin3]

India will be a touch disappointed that they failed to drive home the advantage and shut South Africa out of the match completely, but I am certain they would have taken 164-4 at the start of the day's play. Who has the advantage ? I dunno. Maybe India, but only just. Another hundred runs would take India to a par score and you have to think they would need another fifty on top of that to feel safe. The good news for India is that tomorrow is supposed to be the best day for batting. It is imperative that they bat for at least fifty overs.

Don't think that's such a good news for India, itbt.

 

[Contra]

Don't think that's such a good news for India, itbt.

Haha I was just about to say that. It's mixed. If you really apply yourself (like Laxman and Pujara) you can still score. But this requires more traditional test match batting instead of the expansive stroke play we see these days. As long as VVS is there I'd be feeling pretty safe. We need to bat at least another 30-35 overs tommorow.

 

[Blaze 18]

Don't think that's such a good news for India, itbt.

Yeah, it is bad news if India collapse tomorrow; good news if they manage to bat out a session and a half or two.

 

[Uppercut]

Well, the match has followed a similar script to this one, rather than this one (except that Australia's first innings collapse occurred after the openers had done the damage). So if things continue on similar lines, India will be feeling far from comfortable at the moment.

Yeah, I thought of the Aussie match earlier when someone mentioned that South Africa have to bat last on this pitch- I'm not sure that's a huge disadvantage. Obvious difference is that India have a quality spinner, but even then, if a pitch favours spin on day two it's not a foregone conclusion that it'll be even better for spin on days three and four.

 

[Uppercut]

As a SA fan I'd imagine you'd still be pretty confident that SA will win this though. 60-40 in their favour IMO.

I'd say it is 60/40 in favour of India. It is all about the Harbhajan batting factor.

Sign of a beautifully poised match .

Have to say, I fancy South Africa. They're a second-innings team and if anything resembling a partnership gets going Sree and Ishant could prove a serious liability. Harris, Kallis and Tsotsobe combined went at under 2.5 an over this evening- Sree and Ishant just won't do that and I think that could be the difference between the teams.

 

[Manee]

All depends on the pitch. If the pitch flattens, I'd reckon SA could chase 400+,

 

[Dissector]

Such a wonderfully poised test match. My gut feeling is SA will bat a lot better than in the first innings so India will need a target of 300+ to gain the advantage. It may all boil down to how much fight the tail-enders show tomorrow. I hope Sreesanth has been given a firm lecture on his batting responsibilities.

 

[vcs]

Yeah, I thought of the Aussie match earlier when someone mentioned that South Africa have to bat last on this pitch- I'm not sure that's a huge disadvantage. Obvious difference is that India have a quality spinner, but even then, if a pitch favours spin on day two it's not a foregone conclusion that it'll be even better for spin on days three and four.

Yeah, and SA play spin much better than they used to as their recent record in India shows. Batting fourth is not much of a disadvantage when you're half-way into the 3rd innings at the end of day 2.

What I'm worried about is the fact that most probably, the likes of Harbhajan and Ishant will have to bat like proper batsmen and try to eke out 10s and 15s as our top-order have failed to do the job again, and that will mean Steyn and Morkel will target their fingers and bodies with bouncers. Not ideal at all.

 

[vcs]

Doesn't the Durban pitch change its behaviour drastically depending on the tide? Mysterious, but God I hope it works in our favour, whatever it is.

 

[Blaze 18]

India will have to accept that there is no chance of South Africa getting bowled out cheaply twice in one test. I know 'experts' are going on about how 250 is going to a tough chase, but I don't think so. I am fairly certain that South Africa would back themselves to chase 300 with relative ease, if the pitch flattens out a touch. This is where every little mistake, every poor shot, could prove costly. Even today the top order failed to deliver, and the sad thing is, only one of them (Vijay) got a really good delivery. Even if you excuse Sehwag for obvious reasons, that leaves India's two most experienced batsmen, who played surprisingly poor shots to get out. The balls that they got out to could have been left well alone - it is only the second day after all.

No point crying over spilt milk though; VVS Laxman has to come up with another second innings special and C.Pujara will have to at least match his seventy-four against Australia. They are capable of doing that, and if they manage to do that, they will have put India in a fairly decent position.

 

[Blaze 18]

Man, where is Turbinator when you need him ? I could do with some optimism just about now.

 

[vcs]

In some ways, this is worse than the Centurion game. It's the hope that kills you. And the terrible wait for the next day's play to start. Can't stand the suspense.