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

[OverratedSanity]

Just my opinion, but any wicket where a team gets skittled for 170 on day 2 and in doing so moves into a position of unassailable dominance is as bad as a wicket where both teams cruise to 600. As a neutral, it's not great watching batsmen like Kohli, Rahane, AB and Pujara engaging in a futile battle for the preservation of their wicket before being undone by shunts like Tahir, Duminy and Jadeja.

The only reason India are in a dominant position after being bowled out cheaply is because SA batted like absolute ****e and managed 79 on a pitch where you should be getting 200. People keep missing this point. SA 's terrible ness in the first innings is misleading everyone. If they'd been even a tad competent this would be a brilliantly close test match.

 

[CricAddict]

Just my opinion, but any wicket where a team gets skittled for 170 on day 2 and in doing so moves into a position of unassailable dominance is as bad as a wicket where both teams cruise to 600. As a neutral, it's not great watching batsmen like Kohli, Rahane, AB and Pujara engaging in a futile battle for the preservation of their wicket before being undone by shunts like Tahir, Duminy and Jadeja.

Again, Its not unassailable dominance for India right now. SA still have a chance, though a very small chance.

 

[Bahnz]

Again, Its not unassailable dominance for India right now. SA still have a chance, though a very small chance.

Haha.

 

[cnerd123]

Just my opinion, but any wicket where a team gets skittled for 170 on day 2 and in doing so moves into a position of unassailable dominance is as bad as a wicket where both teams cruise to 600. As a neutral, it's not great watching batsmen like Kohli, Rahane, AB and Pujara engaging in a futile battle for the preservation of their wicket before being undone by shunts like Tahir, Duminy and Jadeja.

Omg people plz stop

I can't believe that the same people who believe that flat pitches, bigger bats, smaller boundaries are all leading to the death of Test cricket are also decrying a pitch that offers turn and uneven bounce from day 1 as being poor. Complain when pitches are flat, and then complain the pitch is poor when the shunt batsmen raised on aforementioned flat pitches can't score runs on them.

Its ridiculous.

 

[Bahnz]

Omg people plz stop

I can't believe that the same people who believe that flat pitches, bigger bats, smaller boundaries are all leading to the death of Test cricket are also decrying a pitch that offers turn and uneven bounce from day 1 as being poor. Complain when pitches are flat, and then complain the pitch is poor when the shunt batsmen raised on aforementioned flat pitches can't score runs on them.

Its ridiculous.

Yeah, what's more this pitch doesn't go far enough! Batsmen should be forced to bat on an actual minefield (maybe somewhere in Balkans or North Africa). That should redress the balance between bat and ball!

ffs

 

[cnerd123]

So many terrible arguments being made against this pitch too.

"zomg it gives India too much of an advantage"
"Poor fast bowlers aren't getting to dominate"
"waah batsmen aren't getting settled and smacking the bowlers everywhere"

Like wtf do you have agains spin bowling, slow batting and India winning. Its as if the only way a pitch is 'good' is if batsmen can score runs freely, spinners are forced into a holding role till the fourth ininngs, and India cannot win on it.

The bias on display here is ridiculous.

 

[cnerd123]

Yeah, what's more this pitch doesn't go far enough! Batsmen should be forced to bat on an actual minefield (maybe somewhere in Balkans or North Africa). That should redress the balance between bat and ball!

ffs

Urgh cbf doing this all over again. Stop reading the scorecard, and go watch a replay of the two days play. Tell me if you still think this pitch is impossible to bat on after watching that and seeing all the dismissals. If it still looks like a minefield to you then IDK what to say.

 

[social]

A pitch that gives the home team a huge advantage != a poor pitch. Since when is home advantage a bad thing?

This match is a Test match and therefore these are Test conditions. Don't throw around the phrase 'Test' conditions as though that only applies to a certain type or style of wicket.

Since when is a 'Test' wicket meant to help players develop a wide range of skills anyways? Thats what domestic cricket, A team tours, age group cricket, etc etc is for. Test cricket is played to win, not to learn.

People through around the word 'poor' too casually here IMO. It may not be the style of cricket you enjoy, it may heavily favour India, and it may expose the flaws of batsmen on both sides, but its a perfectly fine, playable, Test-standard pitch.

Sorry ***** but according to virtually every expert (i.e. not you or me but former test cricketers, etc), you are talking out of your bum

 

[RossTaylorsBox]

Wanna see a 10th day pitch. Or a -4 day pitch.

 

[Bahnz]

So many terrible arguments being made against this pitch too.

"zomg it gives India too much of an advantage"
"Poor fast bowlers aren't getting to dominate"
"waah batsmen aren't getting settled and smacking the bowlers everywhere"

Like wtf do you have agains spin bowling, slow batting and India winning. Its as if the only way a pitch is 'good' is if batsmen can score runs freely, spinners are forced into a holding role till the fourth ininngs, and India cannot win on it.

The bias on display here is ridiculous.

I don't have anything against any of these things (although admittedly when India lose it's usually pretty hilarious). I do however have an issue with a no-break specialist like Jadeja getting this much turn half an hour into day 2 on the basis that it obviously violates the fair balance between bat and ball that enables high quality cricket to come to the fore.

And yes, for the record, green-tops that end with both teams being shot out for under 150 (such as was on show during the much cherished but heavily asterisked 2011 Hobart test) are just as bad as this ****.

 

[Contra]

For my part, I'm not doing it as an Australian fan as we don't have a horse in this race so the match is totally irrelevant

As a cricket fan, it's disappointing to tune into session 1, day 1 and within a few overs know the result of a 5 day test

For their part, Indian cricket fans should question how their team managed to get flogged 2-0 in Australia last year on a bunch of roads

The answer is simple and this pitch is Exhibit A i.e. wickets like this do virtually nothing to teach cricketers about playing in test match conditions

flogged 2-0? lol.. please, India were extremely close to a 1-1 draw had Kohli stuck around for a bit more in the first test. India's downfall in that series was their team selection, like picking Karn Sharma over Ashwin, and only 4 bowlers + Rohit Sharma

 

[cnerd123]

Virtually every expert, or virtually every mainstream media shrill who are paid to sell a narrative to the lowest common denominator?

Such a terrible argument too, appealing to authority. Forget actually watching the game and criticaly analysing it - I'll use the scorecard, my own inherent biases, and the easiest available explanation to come to my conclusion. Oh look, someone paid to sell clicks on Cricinfo agrees with me! I must be right.

So dire.

 

[Daemon]

Meh, regardless of what anyone thinks about the standard of the wicket, it's there and India are going continue producing these for as long as we keep dominating at home. Teams need to learn how to play on them, actually do some preparation beforehand and try to compete.

 

[Daemon]

flogged 2-0? lol.. please, India were extremely close to a 1-1 draw had Kohli stuck around for a bit more in the first test. India's downfall in that series was their team selection, like picking Karn Sharma over Ashwin, and only 4 bowlers + Rohit Sharma

Disagree. We only got close because of some declaration batting and a sporting declaration. We were comprehensively beaten.

 

[cnerd123]

I don't have anything against any of these things (although admittedly when India lose it's usually pretty hilarious). I do however have an issue with a no-break specialist like Jadeja getting this much turn half an hour into day 2 on the basis that it obviously violates the fair balance between bat and ball that enables high quality cricket to come to the fore.

And yes, for the record, green-tops that end with both teams being shot out for under 150 (such as was on show during the much cherished but heavily asterisked 2011 Hobart test) are just as bad as this ****.

I'm so glad you brought that clip up.

Look where the ball pitched. Why was ABDV deep in his crease and not looking to get to the pitch of the ball?

Look how his bat came down. Why did he flick it in the air? Where were the soft hands?

The ball reared up ridiculously. ABDV was not coped to deal with it. He got out and could probably be aggreived at the pitch. That does not excuse Amla, Dhawan, Vijay, Elgar, Kohli, Rahane, etc etc of the terrible decision making they showed out there in the middle. You are literally taking the one extreme example and trying to extrapolate that to the whole game.

 

[Contra]

Disagree. We only got close because of some declaration batting and a sporting declaration. We were comprehensively beaten.

No it doesn't. What the hell is declaration batting anyway? Were Australia doing us some sort of favour? They wanted to win the test match so they declared, India didn't request them to do so. India more than competed on that tour, Australia were overall the better team but India had their chances to win the games but we let it slip, hardly what I would call a flogging.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

I'm not the biggest Jadeja fan but if what he does is so easy why doesn't every touring team bring in someone like him?

 

[cnerd123]

Also **** calling Jaddu a no-break 'dart' bowler. He gets mad revolutions on the ball. Just cuz he bowls it fast doesn't mean he isnt spinning it. Another common fallacy. People haven't been watching Jadej bowls since he has returned to the side and are using the impression they have of him from his poor overseas tours to determine how he must be bowling now.
Look at that ball in that gif. Its ****ing spinning loads.

 

[social]

Virtually every expert, or virtually every mainstream media shrill who are paid to sell a narrative to the lowest common denominator?

Such a terrible argument too, appealing to authority. Forget actually watching the game and criticaly analysing it - I'll use the scorecard, my own inherent biases, and the easiest available explanation to come to my conclusion. Oh look, someone paid to sell clicks on Cricinfo agrees with me! I must be right.

So dire.

A dire argument would be to ignore your eyes, the scoreboard and, with all due respect, the opinion of people who are infinitely more knowledgeable than you or me

BTW, why would an Indian website post supposedly anti-Indian opinions when they would get just as many responses by posting fanboy rubbish

 

[Contra]

Also **** calling Jaddu a no-break 'dart' bowler. He gets mad revolutions on the ball. Just cuz he bowls it fast doesn't mean he isnt spinning it. Another common fallacy. People haven't been watching Jadej bowls since he has returned to the side and are using the impression they have of him from his poor overseas tours to determine how he must be bowling now.
Look at that ball in that gif. Its ****ing spinning loads.

Yeah Jadeja uses his shoulder probably more than any other bowler I think, on a pitch that offers even a bit of turn he can spin it big, It's just people's perceptions because he was asked to be the frontline spinner overseas bowling 30-40 overs in an innings and so they keep thinking he's just a darter.