*Official* India in South Africa

[Teja.]

Don't have anything but massive respect for Zaheer

10 wickets @ 24.6 while bowling half-fit apart from the intangible effect he's had on the bowling line-up. WAG.

 

[Teja.]

Steyn to pick at most 2 wickets on this spiceless wicket. Tsotsobe & Harris (WACs) to leak runs.

Smith to regret for being a dickhead and not playing Botha.

Mate, The wicket's bouncier than Pam Anderson atm.

 

[Zinzan]

You can't call your side the best in the world and then genuinely believe they have no chance at chasing down 270 or batting out a day to draw a match. It's one or the other.

^ Nail on the head this. I can't quite fathom how people on one hand can categorically state they're the best team, yet time & time again talk down their chances. Isn't that kind of like saying "I'm really not that confident we're the best"?

Obviously this is tough considering they're in SA against Steyn & co, but similar things were said in the India/SA series in India.

 

[M0rphin3]

Again, what are you talking about? You posted a couple days ago that South Africa were bowling crud that after stringing 15 overs together where India scored all of 20 runs and now the wicket is apparently a road and Smith is selecting the playing XI...

And aside from being a rocket, what does WAC mean?

Who said the wicket is a road? There's much less in it for the pacers except the variable bounce. And botha would've got it to turn it on a fifth day wicket and added some depth to the batting lineup.

WAC = What a C**t.

 

[GotSpin]

Mate Morkel and Steyn will love the variable bounce just as much as any spinner

 

[M0rphin3]

Mate Morkel and Steyn will love the variable bounce just as much as any spinner

Hope so

 

[Dissector]

^ Nail on the head this. I can't quite fathom how people on one hand can categorically state they're the best team, yet time & time again talk down their chances. Isn't that kind of like saying "I'm really not that confident we're the best"?

Obviously this is tough considering they're in SA against Steyn & co, but similar things were said in the India/SA series in India.

We are the best in the world because our actual performances in the last 2 years have been better than any other team and that will remain the case even if we lose today. However on paper we aren't that great especially in these conditions. And tbh I don't think there is any batting lineup in the history of the game which could be truly confident of surviving a day against Dale Steyn in his current form in helpful conditions. That is what being a great bowler means. If conditions are helpful, even the greatest batsman will need luck to survive your spells.

 

[Dissector]

And while realistically I think we will lose there is a small part of me which is hoping we will pull off something like this.

An almost identical target and against a couple of good bowlers too. In just 66 overs and just losing one wicket. Can you guess which game I am talking about without clicking on the link?

 

[Jono]

^ Nail on the head this. I can't quite fathom how people on one hand can categorically state they're the best team, yet time & time again talk down their chances. Isn't that kind of like saying "I'm really not that confident we're the best"?

Obviously this is tough considering they're in SA against Steyn & co, but similar things were said in the India/SA series in India.

Not all of us are the same ftr.

 

[Teja.]

And while realistically I think we will lose there is a small part of me which is hoping we will pull off something like this.

An almost identical target and against a couple of good bowlers too. In just 66 overs and just losing one wicket. Can you guess which game I am talking about without clicking on the link?

Haha, did it accurately.

Break one of Sehwag's legs IMO.

 

[Jono]

Why? Would they have declared on 270?

Quote me on a post where I said Smith should have declared on 270 please.

 

[Xuhaib]

Sree and Ishant averaging close to 40 and 50 in a series where pitches were quite supportive for them.Reckon once Zaheer goes which I predict is about 2 injuries away India is in deep poo Zaheer consistency allows Ishant and Sree to get away with bowling just one or two good spell in a series.

Would be true for SA aswell thankfully Steyn can play another 5-7 years.

 

[Zinzan]

We are the best in the world because our actual performances in the last 2 years have been better than any other team and that will remain the case even if we lose today. However on paper we aren't that great especially in these conditions. And tbh I don't think there is any batting lineup in the history of the game which could be truly confident of surviving a day against Dale Steyn in his current form in helpful conditions. That is what being a great bowler means. If conditions are helpful, even the greatest batsman will need luck to survive your spells.

You're missing the point. Nobody's disputing their results in the last 2 years.

Unless I'm mistaken what Pasag was alluding to was the fact on one hand some of their fans happily argue they're the best team, yet when the games are being played show an apparent lack of confidence & belief in them. I noticed it in the SA/India series in India too.

It sort of gives the impression that know they're the no.1 side according to the ratings, but don't truly have much confidence in them.

 

[Bun]

Sree and Ishant averaging close to 40 and 50 in a series where pitches were quite supportive for them.Reckon once Zaheer goes which I predict is about 2 injuries away India is in deep poo Zaheer consistency allows Ishant and Sree to get away with bowling just one or two good spell in a series.

The same can be said about SA as well. At the moment they are mighty heavily reliant on Steyn who has had an absolute ripper of a series and yet India are still somehow hanging in.

 

[vcs]

You're missing the point. Nobody's disputing their results in the last 2 years.

Unless I'm mistaken what Pasag was alluding to was the fact on one hand some of their fans happily argue they're the best team, yet when the games are being played show an apparent lack of confidence & belief in them. I noticed it in the SA/India series in India too.

It sort of gives the impression that know they're the no.1 side according to the ratings, but don't truly have much confidence in them.

What's wrong with any of that? If anything, it's a credit to India to have dug out the results they have managed so far without a particularly good, or deep bowling attack, or a proper No. 6, or an in-form No. 3. As Dissector said, none of that will change no matter what happens today.

 

[Jono]

You're missing the point. Nobody's disputing their results in the last 2 years.

Unless I'm mistaken what Pasag was alluding to was the fact on one hand some of their fans happily argue they're the best team, yet when the games are being played show an apparent lack of confidence & belief in them. I noticed it in the SA/India series in India too.

It sort of gives the impression that know they're the no.1 side according to the ratings, but don't truly have much confidence in them.

I didn't realise that if you're #1 you have to win every test and as a fan, believe your team will defeat every team.

If we said we'd win all the time you'd call "us" fanboys.

Can't win.

We should be allowed to post what we like, whether it involve criticism, pessimism or optimism.

 

[Zinzan]

What's wrong with any of that? If anything, it's a credit to India to have dug out the results they have managed so far without a particularly good, or deep bowling attack, or a proper No. 6, or an in-form No. 3. As Dissector said, none of that will change no matter what happens today.

There's nothing wrong with it all as long as people are consistent

 

[Zinzan]

I didn't realise that if you're #1 you have to win every test and as a fan, believe your team will defeat every team.

If we said we'd win all the time you'd call "us" fanboys.

Can't win.

We should be allowed to post what we like, whether it involve criticism, pessimism or optimism.

Nobody's telling you how to post, someone just happened to make a valid observation that I agree with.

 

[Spark]

Don't stink up this thread please, I was enjoying it here after the tripe that's gone round recently

 

[Zinzan]

I didn't realise that if you're #1 you have to win every test and as a fan, believe your team will defeat every team.

It might comes down to the distinction I make between 'no.1 in ratings due to performances over the last 2-3 years' & 'current best side' & that's possibly being pedantic