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

[kykweer.proteas]

In any case, if we run out with three seamers against Australia - we'll be dead by the third test.

Why. Aus is playing the ashes with three seamers and a spinner with watson bowling 4 or 5 overs and they are royally spanking england... and we have the two best bowlers in the world.

everyone is playing with cameo performances from their fifth bowler. kallis was our sixth bowler. If we cant compete with three seamers like the rest of the world then we are pretty useless. We need to build to get that advantage back eventually, but we will by no means be "dead". Rather get another batsman and make losing 20 wickets that much harder.

 

[Garson007]

Why. Aus is playing the ashes with three seamers and a spinner with watson bowling 4 or 5 overs and they are royally spanking england... and we have the two best bowlers in the world.

Why do you think they've persevered with Watson even though his batting average is so ****?

England also hasn't been out there for enough overs to cause the pace attack any problems either.

 

[kykweer.proteas]

Why do you think they've persevered with Watson even though his batting average is so ****?

England also hasn't been out there for enough overs to cause the pace attack any problems either.

**** knows

I must admit, the fact that our tail has been going so well goes a long way in backing your point, but we wont be dead in the water with three seamers... for now.

who do you want there? I cant remember.

 

[Shri]

See this is why I love SA. You guys won a test series and are talking about ways to improve your side. We lost a test series and still don't know if its the end of Ishant ****ing Sharma.

 

[karan316]

Wonderful performance by SA. Their bowling attack is the best in the world.

 

[karan316]

See this is why I love SA. You guys won a test series and are talking about ways to improve your side. We lost a test series and still don't know if its the end of Ishant ****ing Sharma.

Time for Ishant 4staring Sharma to take a break and start working on his game at NCA with a "good" bowling coach who understands the technical issues he is facing.

 

[BeeGee]

He has five in India, one in Pakistan at the dawn of the time and none anywhere else. "None outside the subcontinent" doesn't even quite do justice to how bad he is away from home.

The ultimate dry turner bully.

 

[hendrix]

Tsolikiles selction will be political so nothing will be rational.

if Tsolikile is the best pure wicket keeper in the country how would his selection be political?

 

[BeeGee]

And excuse me if I still rue over the Kohli dismissal and wish the umpire gets food poisoning for the next week.

I've heard that other test playing nations have adopted a system which rectifies poor umpiring decisions. The BCCI may wish to form a fact finding committee to look into it. I'll look forward to their report in five years time stating they were unable to find any facts at all.

 

[BeeGee]

See this is why I love SA. You guys won a test series and are talking about ways to improve your side. We lost a test series and still don't know if its the end of Ishant ****ing Sharma.

TBH, they're mostly just trying to find a replacement for Kallis and still maintain a good balance in their side.

How do you replace an ATG all-rounder? It's the selectorial equivalent of trying to push **** up hill with a pointy stick.

 

[cricketmogul]

this has probably already been mentioned but am not going to check 368 pages - As it turned out India showed they had the capability to get a result from the series. they were the better team for 4 out of 5 days in 1st test, and looked comfortable at start of 2nd. Poor selection screwed them up, I don't know if that's Fletchers fault or bcci. 1st test should have picked 4 seamers for the Wanderers pitch ie inc B kumar, indias best seamer of last 18months and in 2nd test picked ashwin AND jadeja for Durban - the only pitch in SA known to spin. I blame fletcher, he most be familiar with those two venues. And most importantly Nohit sharma for neither- the walking wicket meant india was playing a batsmen light from the start. Yes he has talent, but no guts or mental determination for overseas cricket as all of pujrara, Vijay rahane kohli all demonstrated they have in abundance. Indian domestic scene is overflowing with talented batsmen,(more than most countries) why persist with ignoring sharmas frailties. Steyn put it best in sharmas futile argueing from the non strikers end - "we are playing in Durban, not india -do something . useful in your career, then talk" , With a half decent batsmen at No5, indias lineup looks strong.
Ishant sharma is another story, just when hes on the verge of being dropped, he comes up with an imprressive spell, as he did in the 1s test- and all of india dreams again he could be indias answer to Morkel. but he never delivers 2 matches in a row. its time to invest in alternatives. I like sandeep sharma , b kumar, Shami was impressive. , a fit and firing zaheer would be like golddust- but I don't believe hes fit enough for a whole series

 

[Cruxdude]

Ahh such a bitter sweet series this. Fully expected a 2-0 thrashing while hoping Pujara and Kohli show some fight. Losing the series (almost 2-0) after the promise shown is tough. SA is a top team though. Their never ending batting order and 3 awesome bowlers were just too good for India. But the positives for India from this series are heartening.

Vijay, Pujara, Kohli and Rahane showed that they belong and can be a formidable batting line up soon. Jadeja with the ball was decent but he needs to show infinitely more guts with the bat. That shot of his was piss poor especially considering the surprising runs scored with the tail. Shami was impressive, but Ishant needs to go and maybe Zaheer too. Ishant can come back when he does what Zaheer did (get wickets in domestic).

 

[KungFu_Kallis]

Well played Jacques, and SA.

Good time to blood De Kock now surely? Can move Faf/AB to #4 and get De Kock in #6 with or without gloves. Can let AB keep keeping for now to keep the Tsolekile/transformation activists at bay. Also, could either get McLaren in at #7 in place of Duminy for the seam bowling allrounder option or move up Robbie P as the all rounder at #7 (with big Vern at #8 giving some extra batting) and play another out and out quick bowler.

 

[centurymaker]

A drawn series wouldn't have been that much better than this 1-0 defeat imo, given it's already been achieved in the past. Plus, winning the series is all that matters tbh! No one fondly recalls drawn series, and they still would have said "India has never ever won a series in SA" many times

 

[hendrix]

Nah a drawn series would've been very much a complete rebuttal of India's FTB type critics.

Personally I think the first test should've already silenced them but the 1-0 gives them a very slight credence.

 

[Riggins]

In the post match interview Smithy called Kallis "Jakes." Is that how Kallis pronounces it? Always assumed it was the frenchy J sound.

 

[cricketmogul]

Well played Jacques, and SA.

Good time to blood De Kock now surely? .

Yes , if only to add the double entendre to the modern cricket scene. The only highlight of the odi series drubbing was hearing :5 ackerman announce ' finally, virat 'kohli has got de kock out'

 

[cricketmogul]

Ahh such a bitter sweet series this. Fully expected a 2-0 thrashing while hoping Pujara and Kohli show some fight. Losing the series (almost 2-0) after the promise shown is tough. SA is a top team though. Their never ending batting order and 3 awesome bowlers were just too good for India. But the positives for India from this series are heartening.

Vijay, Pujara, Kohli and Rahane showed that they belong and can be a formidable batting line up soon. Jadeja with the ball was decent but he needs to show infinitely more guts with the bat. That shot of his was piss poor especially considering the surprising runs scored with the tail. Shami was impressive, but Ishant needs to go and maybe Zaheer too. Ishant can come back when he does what Zaheer did (get wickets in domestic).

Yes in some ways it was more annoying that many players overcame expectations and dominated the south africans for large parts of the game, to end up losing it 1-0. It is a very young side, but one imagines had things been managed better, those performaaces could have been strung together to a better result. Certainly not bowling sa out at wanderers was frusytrating, but can point to not playing a 4th seamer and even when in cmpleye control, wasting game tie and not scoring. Quick runs and declaring sooner. There appears to be aa lack of progessionalism and ruthlessness to go with the undoubted talent in the team- that's fletchers job to instil. Drop waste of time players like rohit sharma who have an unprossionality mentality toward test cricket

 

[Jono]

In the post match interview Smithy called Kallis "Jakes." Is that how Kallis pronounces it? Always assumed it was the frenchy J sound.

Don't know how Kallis himself pronounces it but I've heard plenty of the Saffer players say "Jakes" too.

I always thought "Jacques" was pronounced in the "french J sound" (to take your phrasing) and Jaques (e.g. Phil Jacques) was pronounced in the "Jakes" way.

*shrug*

 

[Jono]

Yes in some ways it was more annoying that many players overcame expectations and dominated the south africans for large parts of the game, to end up losing it 1-0.

We were a bee's dick/SA having some balls away from being 2-0 down too. As I said earlier, its almost scary that India could play so above expectation, and really dominate large parts of both tests, and be so close to losing 2-0.

South Africa are an incredible cricket team really.