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

[Garson007]

That doesn't add up to what Smith said......

Like I said; Domingo is extremely negative. I don't think he's the right coach for us.

 

[MrPrez]

I mean honestly, with 19 off of 3 overs required, you can get it down to 10 off of 1, and then have a smash at the end. With no risk in those two overs.

I'd have taken that, but just completely shutting up shop was ridiculous.

 

[akilana]

That's not true, Morkel has very decent technique for a number 10. Of course he had his injuries but still.

Besides, noone was asking for them to take risks ffs. Pushing a ball through the covers is quite honestly no more risky than trying your best to dead-bat everything.

Ya easy to take singles on keyboards but it's not that easy for tailenders on the pitch with pressure on.

 

[MrPrez]

Like I said; Domingo is extremely negative. I don't think he's the right coach for us.

Yup, but more pertinently, him and Graeme are saying different things to the media. They're obviously telling porkies, which doesn't bode well for this whole thing.

 

[kykweer.proteas]

Yeah this isn't hindsight speaking either. They just completely gave up and stopped playing any shots.

The Indian bowlers weren't swinging and seaming the pill all over the place. All they had to do was to knock the ball around in the gaps and pick up some easy singles.

To play so well and come so close to winning a truly a historic match...Oh boy.

Steyn pumping a 6 on the last delivery. Amazing.

If Australia did this I would be so bitterly dissappointed.

the last ball was a full toss, or just full. all the other deliveries were short and wide.

 

[rza]

If Tahir and Kleinveldt plays I'm going to break something. Tahir especially, since Kleinveldt can still bat and score 30.

We have to live with the fact that Tahir is our best spinner and start setting the field accordingly, taking into account full tosses thereby having fielders on leg side in the boundary. Robbie P doesnt take wickets, and Duminy is not good enough as a specialist spinner. It was just in the UAE when Tahir was doing well so why panic?

 

[Spark]

I mean honestly, with 19 off of 3 overs required, you can get it down to 10 off of 1, and then have a smash at the end. With no risk in those two overs.

I'd have taken that, but just completely shutting up shop was ridiculous.

Score off every ball and scamper twos. It's amazingly easy to score easy runs when every fielder is 70m away.

 

[kykweer.proteas]

Yup, but more pertinently, him and Graeme are saying different things to the media. They're obviously telling porkies, which doesn't bode well for this whole thing.

This is my biggest worry.

No one is taking responsibility.

 

[MrPrez]

Ya easy to take singles on keyboards but it's not that easy for tailenders on the pitch with pressure on.

Philander, the tail ender with an average of 23 and coming off a 60 in the first innings. Steyn, the guy who famously fought it out vs Australia in a much more dire situation, and the man that was being bred to be our number 8 before Philander established himself.

Besides, the point isn't that they could or couldn't do it, the point is they didn't try. Again.

 

[akilana]

I mean honestly, with 19 off of 3 overs required, you can get it down to 10 off of 1, and then have a smash at the end. With no risk in those two overs.

I'd have taken that, but just completely shutting up shop was ridiculous.

You are right in hindsight because if they went for the win, they would have easily got it.

 

[Spark]

This is my biggest worry.

No one is taking responsibility.

Which is what makes me think this was the result of a total breakdown in communication, not a deliberate tactic.

 

[OverratedSanity]

I'm honestly very surprised with some of the SA posters here defending the negative approach at the end. I get that Tahir and morkel aren't much with the bat/injured. I get that SA are confident they'll win at Durban. I get that they're looking at the big picture.
But how in the bluest hell is trying 16 off 18 balls with Philander batting well and a well spread out field risky? I wasn't expecting them to start slogging in the penultimate over, that would've been extremely silly. If they'd just played normally, they'd have got within a boundary of the target.

SA played normal cricket the whole day, put away the bad balls and scored at a fair clip without doing anything outlandish. But suddenly, with victory right in front of them their windpipes clogged up somehow and they chickened out. I will not be the least bit kind here... That's what they did. I'd have understood that approach if they'd been another wicket down. But, this was just wimpy cricket of the highest order and it just didn't make sense to me.

Also, major lols at Smith for saying that India didn't look like team who wanted to win it.
Who the **** is he kidding? We didn't bowl too well, and Dhoni made some howling blunders, but unlike what I expected, Dhoni actually did attack for far longer than I expected. We kept looking for wickets until it became obvious it wasn't going to happen. If smith thinks that our negative approach of trying to salvage a draw in the last 5 overs showed that we didn't want to win , then what does it say snout his own team which was in a FAR MORE dominating position than us and refused to try because they were afraid of losing and being branded chokers once more? Ridiculous from him. I'm 100% sure that most SA posters here would have thought when they needed 16 off 18 with Philander in, "we've got a great chance of winning it". In that position, anyone who thought SA might lose and should block it out was simply too scared to deserve a victory.

 

[kykweer.proteas]

I kind of hope abbott plays seeing as it is his home ground too.

 

[OverratedSanity]

You are right in hindsight because if they went for the win, they would have easily got it.

It's not really hindsight. I was loling at the tactics as and when they kept refusing singles. It was obvious then and there that it was a stupid decision

 

[Spark]

It's not really hindsight. I was loling at the tactics as and when they kept refusing singles. It was obvious then and there that it was a stupid decision

I don't think any of us could quite believe what we were watching, tbh

 

[MrPrez]

Not in hindsight, that's the sort of thing you'd expect them to look to do in the situation. Get runs where possible in the next 2 overs, so that they can have a go in the last. Not block everything.

 

[OverratedSanity]

I don't think any of us could quite believe what we were watching, tbh

I didn't really mind though. We go into Durban even Stevens atleast. What pisses me off is that if SA win in Durban, people will turn around and say "See, the tactics were right, they en the serues" . **** that. Wht the **** wouldn't you want to win NOW when things are obviously in your favour? It's just stupid beyond measure

 

[Garson007]

Steyn clearly wanted Philander to take those singles too.

Nonsense. Steyn was the one telling Philander that he shouldn't run.

 

[akilana]

Jeez. Cool stories

 

[Garson007]

We have to live with the fact that Tahir is our best spinner and start setting the field accordingly, taking into account full tosses thereby having fielders on leg side in the boundary. Robbie P doesnt take wickets, and Duminy is not good enough as a specialist spinner. It was just in the UAE when Tahir was doing well so why panic?

We need the extra bat. We can't have a #11 that only fires on the odd occasion. Either you can do a bit of both or you do one really well. No other ways about it.

Can still tour the subcontinent - but that's it.