***Official*** India in South Africa 2013/14

[Jono]

He never goes on when he gets a ton. HE HAS TO NOW!

Come on my boy.

 

[Prince EWS]

It's not flat at all. Really good carry and it was decking around heaps in the first session. I think it'll flatten out in the next day and a half and look a really good surface when South Africa are batting because they'll enjoy the bounce, but those were extremely challenging conditions for a young Indian batsman when he first came in, no doubt about it.

 

[cricmahanty]

His best test innings by a large margin right?

Fair call. The one in Australia was great in the sense that it came at a time when nothing else was going right for the team. Is always tough to notch up personal milestones when your team is under some serious ruin.

 

[dermo]

Whatever. Everyone else in the team has struggled to get a score. Let alone at the rate he's got the runs

i'm not saying it hasn't been a fantastic innings, and for the most part the SA bowlers have bowled tight lines which has made scoring tough for most but this is still a 350+ wicket theres not a lot of swing and hardly anything off the pitch, it is possible to have flat decks in SA

 

[Cabinet96]

Not as flat as he is used to.

Indian pitches haven't been that flat in his career tbd. Ever since duel 4-0's India have produced some pitches with serious turn or assistance to reverse swing.

 

[OverratedSanity]

i'm not saying it hasn't been a fantastic innings, and for the most part the SA bowlers have bowled tight lines which has made scoring tough for most but this is still a 350+ wicket theres not a lot of swing and hardly anything off the pitch, it is possible to have flat decks in SA

It's had swing. It's had some substantial lateral movement off the deck as well. The bowlers just haven't taken advantage of it

 

[Prince EWS]

it is possible to have flat decks in SA

Yeah, this isn't one though. It's flattening out and will do further but it certainly wasn't in the first session.

 

[Cabinet96]

Fair call. The one in Australia was great in the sense that it came at a time when nothing else was going right for the team. Is always tough to notch up personal milestones when your team is under some serious ruin.

I rate his Perth exploits higher because of the conditions. But I'm not sure performing when everyone else hasn't is that great. The time for him to score runs was at Melbourne and Sydney, when the series was still alive.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Fair call. The one in Australia was great in the sense that it came at a time when nothing else was going right for the team. Is always tough to notch up personal milestones when your team is under some serious ruin.

I actually rate his two Perth innings higher than his adelaide hundred. Pitch wasn't that easy

 

[OverratedSanity]

I rate his Perth exploits higher because of the conditions. But I'm not sure performing when everyone else hasn't is that great. The time for him to score runs was at Melbourne and Sydney, when the series was still alive.

Dammit just beat me to it

Edit: Series was alive at Perth tbh

 

[Maximas]

the 75 at Perth was excellent, but futile, this innings could potentially set up the match plus it's the first day of the tour so I rate it higher

 

[Jono]

Steyn faking an injury because Kohli has bashed him all day

 

[Prince EWS]

Steyn faking an injury because Kohli has bashed him all day

What a shame Dhawan isn't out there to let him know he's onto him.

 

[Jono]

Make no mistake this knock is way better than Perth or Adelaide. Firstly, match is alive. Secondly, series is alive. And importantly, he's the leader of the pack this time. In Australia he was the least experienced batsmen. Now he's the lynch pin with all the pressure on him.

 

[Prince EWS]

Going around the wicket isn't an excuse to bowl leg stump, Jean-Paul.

 

[Jono]

I usually rate Cullinan's analysis. So weird that he predicted Kohli to struggle based on two ODI knocks.

 

[Jono]

Oh man don't do that KOhli. Steyn off the field, come on capitalise. You should be thinking 150 minimum.

 

[Cabinet96]

What a shame Dhawan isn't out there to let him know he's onto him.

I think Steyn and Dhawan are pretty good friends actually.

 

[Prince EWS]

Make no mistake this knock is way better than Perth or Adelaide. Firstly, match is alive. Secondly, series is alive. And importantly, he's the leader of the pack this time. In Australia he was the least experienced batsmen. Now he's the lynch pin with all the pressure on him.

He's done it against a better attack, coming in earlier (both in terms of overs and batting position) and IMO in trickier conditions on balance, despite what a few others have said. There was lots of sideways movement in the first session; it's flattened out a bit now to be a bit easier than Perth was at any time during his innings there, but having to get through that really tricky period against the new ball jagging around made it more difficult overall IMO.

He's also scored 45% more runs, and counting. Definitely can't just ignore that.

 

[Jono]

100% agree.

SA losing the plot here.