***Official*** South Africa in India 2015

[StephenZA]

Moonda reporting Duminy yet to recover and 50-50 chance that he will make it. If he can't make it in the end, there will be a problem in balancing the side. Elgar can bowl but he is a step down from Duminy. SA might have to think in terms of playing two frontline spinners if the pitch turns out that way. In that case probably Philander will have to go missing. Only one spinner in Harmer sounds like a bit risky to me.

Regardless, I dont think we must play two spinners.. ideally Duminy is fit an brings better balance to the team; but we must not get stuck into a mindset that we must win with spinners (even on a rank turning pitch). A hard dry pitch brings in reverse and will bring Dale into the reckoning. Our bowling advantage is not going to be spinner vs spinners, then we lose. But how good our pacers bowl. Even now against IndPresXI five of the top six was taken out by Philander and Steyn and Morkel had bowled 5 overs for no runs! SA spinners job is to maintain pressure and and be threatening, thus allowing us to attack with Steyn and Co. And extra unknown spinner option is not going to help us!

And Duminy`s injury further shows my point of his back luck when playing in Tests...

 

[AndyZaltzHair]

Regardless, I dont think we must play two spinners.. ideally Duminy is fit an brings better balance to the team; but we must not get stuck into a mindset that we must win with spinners (even on a rank turning pitch). A hard dry pitch brings in reverse and will bring Dale into the reckoning. Our bowling advantage is not going to be spinner vs spinners, then we lose. But how good our pacers bowl. Even now against IndPresXI five of the top six was taken out by Philander and Steyn and Morkel had bowled 5 overs for no runs! SA spinners job is to maintain pressure and and be threatening, thus allowing us to attack with Steyn and Co. And extra unknown spinner option is not going to help us!

And Duminy`s injury further shows my point of his back luck when playing in Tests...

Somehow SA have to find the ideal balance. Not an advocate of playing spinners for the heck of it. But seems like Harmer and Tahir won't be a bad combo and this Indian line up has shown weakness against spin.

 

[AndyZaltzHair]

Is Ashwin for the first test then?

yeah read he's going to be fit for tests

 

[Daemon]

Regardless, I dont think we must play two spinners.. ideally Duminy is fit an brings better balance to the team; but we must not get stuck into a mindset that we must win with spinners (even on a rank turning pitch). A hard dry pitch brings in reverse and will bring Dale into the reckoning. Our bowling advantage is not going to be spinner vs spinners, then we lose. But how good our pacers bowl. Even now against IndPresXI five of the top six was taken out by Philander and Steyn and Morkel had bowled 5 overs for no runs! SA spinners job is to maintain pressure and and be threatening, thus allowing us to attack with Steyn and Co. And extra unknown spinner option is not going to help us!

And Duminy`s injury further shows my point of his back luck when playing in Tests...

Yeah, good post. I don't think there's a real need for 2 spinners when the quality of the quicks is so high.

 

[OverratedSanity]

SA don't have one real test class spinner, let alone two. What they do have is quality fast bowling. Sacrificing that to get in an inferior bowler just because the pitch may turn would be dumb. It's also no coincidence that every single SA victory in India has been on the back of a top class spell from one of their quicks. They need something like what Steyn and Ntini produced in 08 in Ahmedabad or God forbid, Nagpur 2010

 

[Marius]

Moonda reporting Duminy yet to recover and 50-50 chance that he will make it. If he can't make it in the end, there will be a problem in balancing the side. Elgar can bowl but he is a step down from Duminy. SA might have to think in terms of playing two frontline spinners if the pitch turns out that way. In that case probably Philander will have to go missing. Only one spinner in Harmer sounds like a bit risky to me.

You can thus safely ignore the report until we get confirmation from a proper journalist.

 

[Marius]

SA don't have one real test class spinner, let alone two. What they do have is quality fast bowling. Sacrificing that to get in an inferior bowler just because the pitch may turn would be dumb. It's also no coincidence that every single SA victory in India has been on the back of a top class spell from one of their quicks. They need something like what Steyn and Ntini produced in 08 in Ahmedabad or God forbid, Nagpur 2010

Agreed. I doubt South Africa has ever won a Test match in India with two spinners. Play your three quicks and one spinner. Elgar can help out. I'm not sure what the story with Faf is but he used to bowl serviceable leggies so if he's up to it he could give you a couple of overs. If you need to fill a few more overs let Van Zyl and De Villiers bowl a couple of overs of slow-medium.

 

[AndyZaltzHair]

You can thus safely ignore the report until we get confirmation from a proper journalist.

 

[Marius]

Just had a look, South Africa has one four Test matches in India.

In the 1997/97 victory we played two spinners - Adams and Symcox, who took three wickets between them.

In 1999/00 we won both of the Test matches. In the first Test we played Clive Eksteen and Nicky Boje, who between them took no wickets. In the second Test Boje was the sole spinner and he took seven wickets.

Our other victory was in 2007/08 and in that game Paul Harris was the only spinner and he took one wicket.

So, two spinners is not necessary for South Africa to win Test matches in India.

 

[StephenZA]

Somehow SA have to find the ideal balance. Not an advocate of playing spinners for the heck of it. But seems like Harmer and Tahir won't be a bad combo and this Indian line up has shown weakness against spin.

India have also shown weakness against quality pace .. SA team composition is pretty static and correct (imo) 4 bowlers, wicketkeeper and 6 batsmen.

First Test:
Stiaan
Elgar
Faf
Amla
AB
Duminy/Bavuma
Vilas
Philander
Harmer
Steyn
Morkel

Potential changes during series: Rabada in for Philander/Morkel (unlikely), Piedt in for Harmer (if inconsistent performance).
Pretty much know what you are going to get with SA!

 

[Pratters]

pujara

Was wrongly given out and he expressed a bit of displeasure actually. It's idiotic he has to prove himself all the time.

 

[CricAddict]

No wickets for Jadeja this innings. BCCI should bring in the curator from Saurashtra for the Mohali match.

 

[StephenZA]

Just confirming no DRS this Test series? and 2nd what is the exact objection that Indian Cricket Board has to DRS currently.. (I hope I`m not opening a can of worms )

 

[honestbharani]

No wickets for Jadeja this innings. BCCI should bring in the curator from Saurashtra for the Mohali match.

He bowled 7 overs and seamers were doing the damage?

 

[CricAddict]

He bowled 7 overs and seamers were doing the damage?

Yes, he bowled 9 without a wicket while Unadkat took 6.

 

[harsh.ag]

Just confirming no DRS this Test series? and 2nd what is the exact objection that Indian Cricket Board has to DRS currently.. (I hope I`m not opening a can of worms )

Their throats are too full of money to be able to swallow their pride

 

[aussie]

India have also shown weakness against quality pace .. SA team composition is pretty static and correct (imo) 4 bowlers, wicketkeeper and 6 batsmen.

First Test:
Stiaan
Elgar
Faf
Amla
AB
Duminy/Bavuma
Vilas
Philander
Harmer
Steyn
Morkel

Potential changes during series: Rabada in for Philander/Morkel (unlikely), Piedt in for Harmer (if inconsistent performance).
Pretty much know what you are going to get with SA!

Think Rabada has done enough at this stage to start ahead of Philander, more dangerous bowlers on IND pitches.

 

[StephenZA]

Think Rabada has done enough at this stage to start ahead of Philander, more dangerous bowlers on IND pitches.

I would not be unhappy with this choice, but I doubt that Philander gets dropped for Rabada in the first test. SA are conservative, no chopping and changing until really forced to, Philander extends the batting line-up as well.

Also while Rabada's skills and bowling intelligence shown on the field so far are brilliant, he has not played a great deal of 4/5 day cricket particularly not in hot/humid conditions I would personally worry about his physical fitness holding up at this stage, at 20 he is not fully matured physically and has not had enough time to work on his core strengths or fitness fully. Don't need him going missing day 4/5 of a test. Unless forced to play him this series or we are 3-0 up . he is most likely to make his debut on a seaming pitch at wanderers against Eng!

 

[AndyZaltzHair]

No need to rush Rabada at this stage

 

[Shri]

India have also shown weakness against quality pace ..

Not that often in Indian pitches with knee high bounce. Different story if SA can figure out a way to consistently reverse the ball but risky to rely completely on pace. It could win a test sure but not a series, not around here. Though I do think fast bowlers are the way to go. Spinners in the SA squad don't have Swann or Monty's experience to trouble us.