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

[Garson007]

Don't understand much of that. Why put in a specialist pacer when in all honesty Kallis hasn't been close to a front-line member of the attack for a fair while now? Also, wtf is Du Plessis doing at 3.

Can't win matches in South Africa with only three pace bowlers. Duminy and Peterson together can't replace Kallis' bowling, imho.

Du Plessis did brilliantly at #4 in the previous game and has the right temperament for when an opener loses his wicket early on. Great re-builder and really quite a perfect #3. Amla deserves the #4 slot ahead of De Villiers.

 

[sreeku7]

My selection for the Australian tests.

Smith
Petersen
Du Plessis
Amla
De Villiers
Duminy
Peterson
Philander
Steyn
Abbott
Morkel

Phase in a new bowler at all costs and then start tinkering with the rest.

Include Quinton de Kock and play De Villiers as a batsman.Including both Duminy and Peterson is akin to selecting both Jadeja and Aswin to play in in SA

 

[SeamUp]

Would be a shocking decision.

Up there with the worst.

If you look at our test team, it has a lot of players in their peak ages now from 28-32. Think we need to introduce the next generation.

We have the likes of Elgar and Abbott work hard to get where they are and theyr're 26 now. Ideally de Kock would be superb to add as the young gun in the dressing room.

 

[kykweer.proteas]

Nobody but Pakistan free, ftr. Not much we can do other than tour UAE again.


Yup.

http://static.espncricinfo.com/db/DOWNLOAD/0000/0045/ftp_2011_2020.pdf

hells bells thats an old schedule. does not even include Aus.

Apparently bangladesh is free this year.

 

[MrPrez]

Keep the team that played this game. move the order up and slot in Q de Kock at 7...

Do we really need another bowler that can bat a little? Can not replace kallis with an all rounder. we need a batsman.

Yeah, just feel that de Kock isn't better than the other options anywhere other than opener. We have Rossouw/van Zyl/Elgar who are all better options at 7 imo. De Kock should only be in if he's in as an opener or a keeper at this point - he isn't good enough in the middle order to take a middle order spot.

I'd go van Zyl just to give Duminy a bit of support in the 5th bowler role. But I certainly don't see the logic in putting an extra bowler.

 

[Garson007]

Other options are if you go bat at 7/8 route and play McLaren/Parnell and then there is the thought of de Kock scoring some runs in the last few rounds of the Sunfoil series.

I wouldn't be against playing McLaren or Parnell, but I question their wicket taking ability and would love to see four front line seamers in the side again.

 

[kykweer.proteas]

Up there with the worst.

If you look at our test team, it has a lot of players in their peak ages now from 28-32. Think we need to introduce the next generation.

We have the likes of Elgar and Abbott work hard to get where they are and theyr're 26 now. Ideally de Kock would be superb to add as the young gun in the dressing room.

You guys underestimate CSA.

 

[Prince EWS]

I could, but I was the closest I've been to tears in a long time. And I've just watched a stack of heart-wrenchingly sad movies.
Don't understand much of that. Why put in a specialist pacer when in all honesty Kallis hasn't been close to a front-line member of the attack for a fair while now? Also, wtf is Du Plessis doing at 3.

Mine would be
Smith
Peterson/de Kock (Probably peterson though I think he'll get targeted and destroyed)
Amla
de Villiers
Faf
Duminy
van Zyl
Philander
Peterson
Steyn
Morkel

Marchant in for Morkel if he has issues with his foot.

I really don't think batting the wicket keeper at four is a good idea long term. If de Villiers wants to bat four then he needs to give up the gloves. As I said earlier in the thread, I'd roll with:

1. Smith
2. Petersen
3. Amla
4. du Plessis
5. de Villiers
6. New batsman - I don't get to watch RSA domestic cricket so I'm not going to try and choose between Elgar, van Zyl, de Kock or Rossouw, but one of them
7. Duminy, and let him know he's in the team almost as much for his bowling as his batting and should therefore be devoting time to it
8. Philander
9. Abbott
10. Steyn
11. Morkel

That keeps essentially the same balance as you've got now. Seven batsmen, four seamers and a spinner. Obviously a specialist spinner would come in for Abbott on turning away tracks, but that should be the team against Australia IMO.

 

[MrPrez]

Can't win matches in South Africa with only three pace bowlers. Duminy and Peterson together can't replace Kallis' bowling, imho.

Certainly can, and we have basically been doing. Kallis hasn't been used as anything much more than a guy to run through a few overs and possibly sneak a wicket - the sort of role Duminy is perfect to play. If you don't back Steyn/Philander/Morkel to be sufficient in pace-oriented conditions...

Du Plessis did brilliantly at #4 in the previous game and has the right temperament for when an opener loses his wicket early on. Great re-builder and really quite a perfect #3. Amla deserves the #4 slot ahead of De Villiers.

Amla is the best 3 in the world. There is no reason to move him from the 3 spot, there is absolutely no chance on earth that Du Plessis is a better 3 than Amla. Neither is Du Plessis a patch on De Villiers at number 4.

 

[SeamUp]

I wouldn't be against playing McLaren or Parnell, but I question their wicket taking ability and would love to see four front line seamers in the side again.

It would be mad for me to say I don't have my doubts but they both are hard working cricketers that can add value if performing.

With Parnell, I think ideally he needs to play 4-day cricket and lots of it still. Talk from some of the Titans players from the last round of Sunfoil Series was that he was bowling 145kmph regularly and swinging it. We need more of that from him now. Finally hone his skills that made him get pin pointed as a teenager with huge all-round potential.

 

[kykweer.proteas]

Yeah, just feel that de Kock isn't better than the other options anywhere other than opener. We have Rossouw/van Zyl/Elgar who are all better options at 7 imo. De Kock should only be in if he's in as an opener or a keeper at this point - he isn't good enough in the middle order to take a middle order spot.

I'd go van Zyl just to give Duminy a bit of support in the 5th bowler role. But I certainly don't see the logic in putting an extra bowler.

Elgar in the driving seat atm I guess.

If we have to play 4 seamers we need to drop a spinner.

Trying to replace kallis with a player (who can bat and play as an extra seamer) will be a total failure. His main priority was batting.

 

[SeamUp]

You guys underestimate CSA.

You're right bud, can't write it off

 

[Prince EWS]

Certainly can, and we have basically been doing. Kallis hasn't been used as anything much more than a guy to run through a few overs and possibly sneak a wicket - the sort of role Duminy is perfect to play.

The thing is though, you don't really need extra overs of spin as such. I don't think having two spinners as part of your five man attack in South Africa would really be ideal, even if it basically operated more as having 1.5 spinners in a 4.5 man attack. I think Duminy should just take over the spin duties; I legitimately think he has more to work with as a bowler than Robbie P anyway.

 

[nexxus]

Good fight from India, lots to like about the team itself. Kohli is awesome, my new fave foreigner.

However, I can't help feeling some there's some schadenfreude in the fact that the team representing the BCCI drew a test they should have won, then lost a test they should have drawn, all on the last day and then had no 3rd test to fall back on because of a petty squabble over someone who actually has less influence over Indian cricket than he did in his last position. And then, to top it off, they were screwed by 2 umpiring decisions because they didn't have access to a system designed to stop that from happening. Would've been nice if they got screwed out of winning the first test as well but can't have them all I guess.

 

[kykweer.proteas]

long term morkel will need to pull up his socks. parnell coming in for morkel will certainly help balance out the side with kallis gone.

 

[MrPrez]

I really don't think batting the wicket keeper at four is a good idea long term. If de Villiers wants to bat four then he needs to give up the gloves. As I said earlier in the thread, I'd roll with:

1. Smith
2. Petersen
3. Amla
4. du Plessis
5. de Villiers
6. New batsman - I don't get to watch RSA domestic cricket so I'm going to try and choose between Elgar, van Zyl, de Kock or Rossouw, but one of them
7. Duminy, and let him know he's in the team almost as much for his bowling as his batting and should therefore be devoting time to it
8. Philander
9. Abbott
10. Steyn
11. Morkel

That keeps essentially the same balance as you've got now. Seven batsmen, four seamers and a spinner. Obviously a specialist spinner would come in for Abbott on turning away tracks, but that should be the team against Australia IMO.

Long-term I agree that de Villiers shouldn't be number 4 and keeper, but he's done it well until now, and it's basically a case of him keeping until de Kock is good enough for the test team. I'd much rather see us rush De Kock in at 7 and keeper than see de Villiers drop down to number 5.

Ideally I'd like to see de Kock opening though. Alec Stewart style. I know it's a big ask, but it's been done before and can be done, imo. If that happens, then de Villiers sits at 4, Du Plessis 5, someone 6 and Duminy 7 in the role you specified for him.

I guess for now De Kock could bat 6 if he's going to be keeping too, but long term I think we should be trying to breed him to open and keep.

 

[akilana]

Would be a shocking decision.

No worse than having JP in the team. What has he done to get picked?

 

[SeamUp]

Some good chat about the role Jakes has done over the years. Eventhough he has still been able to bowl 140 and look threatening he just hasn't been needed to bowl too much and strike too much. I think in his last 38 tests he got 41 wickets or something. Still crucial of course.

But I do like PEWS way of thinking. We just need a bowler who can support the 4-man seam attack and in SA we can look to a Duminy to support the main 4 seamers ?

Although fair play Robbie P, I though his 3 years of peak cricket were over. He did well this test match. Harmer must be pretty close too mind. He actually spins it.

 

[nexxus]

Just a quick thing about the BCCI spat with Lorgat, I don't know why anyone's surprised, Indians are unsurpassed in their ability to keep grudges going. My uncles didn't speak to their cousin for over 30 years because he married the wrong person, almost everyone I know in India has had some ridiculous spat with someone over a missing wedding invite or not coming over for supper.

Even my own wife squabbled with her cousins because they sent her an email invite to a wedding there was no chance she was going to attend.

 

[kykweer.proteas]

Long-term I agree that de Villiers shouldn't be number 4 and keeper, but he's done it well until now, and it's basically a case of him keeping until de Kock is good enough for the test team. I'd much rather see us rush De Kock in at 7 and keeper than see de Villiers drop down to number 5.

Ideally I'd like to see de Kock opening though. Alec Stewart style. I know it's a big ask, but it's been done before and can be done, imo. If that happens, then de Villiers sits at 4, Du Plessis 5, someone 6 and Duminy 7 in the role you specified for him.

I guess for now De Kock could bat 6 if he's going to be keeping too, but long term I think we should be trying to breed him to open and keep.

Why cant de kock play a Gilchrist type of game for us?