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

[OverratedSanity]

I'm seriously pissed at SA because them chicken ing out spoiled my epic prediction here:

How epic would it be if they survived till the last over and then morkel had to come out to save the match?

On the other hand, this one came true:

Odds on du plessis to do a du plessis tomorrow?

 

[Cruxdude]

https://twitter.com/DaleSteyn62/status/415035707493978112

 

[Burgey]

I really don't know what to make of ot, having watched the highlights. Perhaps Steyn and Vern were thinking that with Tahir being so bad at his preferred skill of bowling, he must not know which end of the bat to hold. Maybe Morkel's injury effected their thinking.

One thing is certain though. Rahane saved that match for India.

 

[OverratedSanity]

@Tweet Wow, ok then. Disagree with Steyn vehemently.

 

[social]

It was completely bizarre.

They just completely gave up and shouldered arms. So strange

This is exactly how I feel

Taken in isolation, it was a great performance from the Saffers to bat out a truck-load of overs to save a match

Trouble is that they should have walked it after being in the position they were in 3 overs out

Reckon the "new" Oz team will look at this and say "same old conservative SA" and tear into them next series

Fully expect us to claim another scalp and particularly with SA's lack of depth

 

[Van Buren]

As the end was unfolding live, I was disappointed because a historic win seemed a fitting end to Faf's heroics. But now that some time has passed, I think playing for the draw was the responsible thing to do.

As seen in Adelaide, Morkel is decent at surviving against quicks, but the past has shown that Morkel's batting against off spinners is diabolical at the best of times, let alone a one legged Morkel. If Morkel had arrived at the crease, I think Dhoni would have turned to Ashwin, no matter how ineffectual the latter's bowling had been. Dhoni would remember Amla and Morkel trying in vain to save a test against India in 2010, only to have Morkel befuddled by a straight one from Harbhajan.

I don't think Tahir is the worst Number 11, but he's a man who has already had a terrible test. His confidence and self-belief is probably pretty low after seeing the wicket keeper being preferred over him in the bowling duties. As such, tasking Tahir with the duty to survive a high pressure finish is just asking for further heartbreak. If Steyn or Philander, or both, had perished and had left Morkel or Tahir the task of surviving a couple of overs, it would have been brain-dead cricket from Vernon and Dale. Tail end wickets fell in a clump throughout the test -- signifying that the tail end batsmen of both teams have found the pitch tricky to negotiate -- and had Philander or Steyn been dismissed, I would have classified an Indian win as the likely result.

I think Shami's over of bouncers to Steyn was a smart move -- Steyn has a propensity for driving and slogging over long-on, but he hasn't exhibited many shots to the short pitched stuff. In fact, I recall him being dismissed to short pitched bowling a fair number of times. I don't think there's much he could have done with that over given the protection Shami had at third man and sweeper cover. That over brought the equation down to 16 off 12 balls, essentially deciding the fate of the match. Vern and Steyn might have been able to go at 8 r.p.o with the field spread out, but such an aggressive mindset could have equally exposed Tahir and Morkel. It's a bitter pill to swallow, but I think they made the right decision given the match circumstances. As a cricket fan, it is disappointing that the chance to create history was snubbed, but it pales in comparison to how devastating it would have been had SA contrived to lose the test in the final three overs after the efforts of AB and Faf.

What a final day of Test cricket it was though. It's probably one of my favorite Day 5s. It's quite a coincidence how India was 3 wickets away from a win, just as SA was 3 boundaries away from a win. Only when the number of deliveries remaining whittled down to 2 did both teams drop out of the reckoning, that too at the same time. Wonderful script to a test match end.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Why waste another 132 overs if you can do that in 3 overs.

True. That's the thing though... Both teams will have mixed feelings about this game. Both could've created history in their own way and couldn't do it. On the other hand both will b mighty pleased to have not lost it considering the position they were in at different times in the match .

What a match. Still can't get over how wildly it swung between the two teams

 

[smash84]

In the end I think SA did the right thing. They had made a real fight of things and to have lost after making such an awesome effort would have really really demoralized them. The win would have been awesome but at least they can find comfort in the fact that they almost snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. They are not down in the series now and they still have a chance to win the series.

 

[Swingpanzee]

Of course SA did the ****ing right thing. SA supporters who say they choked and should have gone for the win are only frustrated because their team got that close. I couldn't watch the match, and when I heard Kallis fell, all I wished was for SA to hang on somehow.

India, on the other hand, have choked in style. 458 to defend, 140ish overs and you still can't bowl a team out on the fifth day of a test. Classic choke, and the only way to forget that is shift the blame to the Proteas.

 

[Jono]

Of course SA did the ****ing right thing. SA supporters who say they choked and should have gone for the win are only frustrated because their team got that close. I couldn't watch the match, and when I heard Kallis fell, all I wished was for SA to hang on somehow.

India, on the other hand, have choked in style. 458 to defend, 140ish overs and you still can't bowl a team out on the fifth day of a test. Classic choke, and the only way to forget that is shift the blame to the Proteas.

Didn't have to tell us mate, it shows.

 

[Swingpanzee]

I meant the last two sessions dude.

 

[Jono]

Yes and if you didn't watch the last session you can't say whether SA did the right or wrong thing. You had to be watching and understand the scenario of the match.

 

[OverratedSanity]

I couldn't watch the match, and when I heard Kallis fell, all I wished was for SA to hang on somehow.

Here's the thing though. If they had batted for the draw and started blocking mode after kallis fell, I'd have hailed it as an escape greater than adelaide. But they didn't. They actually got close and when they were favorites, decided "**** it, we'll take a draw "

It was just inexplicable.

 

[akilana]

Of course SA did the ****ing right thing. SA supporters who say they choked and should have gone for the win are only frustrated because their team got that close. I couldn't watch the match, and when I heard Kallis fell, all I wished was for SA to hang on somehow.

India, on the other hand, have choked in style. 458 to defend, 140ish overs and you still can't bowl a team out on the fifth day of a test. Classic choke, and the only way to forget that is shift the blame to the Proteas.

Ain't gonna work here. Save your energy.

 

[karan316]

Hashim Amla was just inches away from a major injury in the second innings, I would say he is rather lucky that he was bowled, the ball was just about to hit his elbow before he managed to move it down at the last moment. It would have been really ugly if it would have hit him in that position.

 

[harsh.ag]

India in South Africa 2013-14 : Booing crowds upset Steyn - AB de Villiers | Cricket News | South Africa v India | ESPN Cricinfo

Dale [Steyn] was really upset, he struggled to handle it. It really took Graeme [Smith] and a few guys to help him handle it immediately, because of the crowds, the booing and everyone criticising him and Vernon [Philander].

 

[silentstriker]

Good. People expect a certain level of aggressiveness and positive intent from a #1 team. The Australian team wouldn't have settled for a draw. They might have lost but they would have thought the chance to make history with a chase this size, go up 1-0 in a two test series and win emphatically would have been worth the risk of going 0-1.

 

[Spark]

Is SS talking about Australianism by any chance?

 

[CricAddict]

Yes and if you didn't watch the last session you can't say whether SA did the right or wrong thing. You had to be watching and understand the scenario of the match.

Jono, I agree with you and I too wished the match ended in something other than a draw.. Playing devil's advocate here..Not many of us watched Bradman play, but everyone including most probably you say that he is the greatest.. So, why can't swingpanzee analyze the match without watching it?

 

[Spark]

There's a very, very large difference between analysing a batsman's career using a wealth of statistics, first- and second-hand accounts, and judging a game purely based on a scorecard. The nuances and subtleties, the shifts in momentum and ball-by-ball qualities of the bowling, batting, and pitch are very difficult to analyse without having watched the game, but none of those things are of the slightest importance over the space of a career (unless you want to talk about individual innings).

Generally speaking, if you start making big pronouncements about a game you haven't watched then it really shows.