*Official* India in South Africa

[Contra]

... and he's done well.

Not enough to get the nod over bhajji as your specialist spinner. best way to use him is as a trump card in WC games because most teams haven't seen him yet. Almost mendis like when he first game on to the scene.

 

[Blaze 18]

He's bowled to nothing but bunnies tbh (that 1 off ODI against Aus aside). NZ / SL (second string) / Zim.. not the greatest set of teams against spinners (SL is good but that was mostly a second string side).

If I am not mistaken, that was quite a strong Sri Lankan side. They didn't have Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara, but it was a strong side nevertheless.

 

[Jono]

What do SA need to be favourites, considering where they are playing and the fact India are chasing under lights?

 

[Blaze 18]

220

 

[Teja.]

Haha, Why do I always get a sickening amount of pleasure watching Lolgram bat?

 

[Blaze 18]

That doesn't sound right

 

[superkingdave]

How is faf looking? 37 off 55 without a boundary, not often you would see that these days

 

[popepouri]

Probably the most competent SA side we can field IMO:

Smith
Amla
Kallis
AB
Duminy
Faf
Kemp
Parnell
Morne
Tahir
Lopsy

 

[Blaze 18]

That was Faf's first boundary

 

[popepouri]

Yes Faf. Well played.

 

[Howe_zat]

SA have pretty much pulled this one out of the mire, very mature performance from Duminy and Faf. Striking at 75-80 is well worth it when you're just milking singles. If one of them can accelerate now SA could still put up 230 or so, still a big ask though.

 

[jeevan]

Do you have to take a batting PP per rules? Turning out to be quite the curse in this series....

 

[Howe_zat]

Do you have to take a batting PP per rules? Turning out to be quite the curse in this series....

Yeah, if 45 overs go without it then the field has to come in at the death.

3-14 in the first half of this powerplay.

The way it's gone in this series I'd be tempted to just bring the field in anyway, it's been that bad for the batting side. Given how under-pressure the batting side is to up the ante when they take it, might be worth leaving those tempting gaps in the outfield and keep a couple of catching positions.

 

[Shri]

Zaheer gets 250 ODI wickets.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Am I the only one childish enough to have a slight giggle at the name Faf?

disappointed at the lack of puns about SA faffing about tbh

 

[Howe_zat]

What do SA need to be favourites, considering where they are playing and the fact India are chasing under lights?

220

Well there we go. I'd disagree, and suggest that India are slightly ahead here. Not much in it mind.

 

[M0rphin3]

Played faf. Miller and ingram can gagf.

And the total is too low.

 

[Blaze 18]

Well there we go. I'd disagree, and suggest that India are slightly ahead here. Not much in it mind.

Depends on Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina and Virat Kohli. I don't expect anything meaningful from Murali Vijay, Rohit Sharma and Yousuf Pathan.

 

[M0rphin3]

Depends on Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina and Virat Kohli. I don't expect anything meaningful from Murali Vijay, Rohit Sharma and Yousuf Pathan.

Need just a couple of decent partnerships tbh.

 

[vcs]

India are so the perfect example in ODI cricket of the sum being so much better than the average parts, especially the bowling line up.

Our part-timers bowl far too many overs for my liking.. it was a bit frustrating to let things slip from 90-4, but they came back well at the death TBF. Which might not happen against a side that has big hitters/competent batsmen down the order.