I'm actually not enjoying this... no tension or competition for me. Yes great batting, but there is just a little to much luck involved.If they stop it'll be a huge shame. This has been a fascinating test.
What should the team learn? Faf asked for a pitch with pace & bounce , not this. Is he to blame for curator being incompetent?If they had to abandon this match it would be one of the most embarrassing circumstances in SA cricket since readmission... I repeat this pitch was most definitely not required for SA pace attack and the Wanderers should have been left as normal. I hope CSA and the team learn from this.
Rather than just letting the curator get on with their work, Faf (and co) has put them under extreme pressure to ensure that he gets the pitch he wants. Leaving more grass on the pitch than normal, more watering to make the grass green etc. If you felt you were being put under pressure to ensure that the pitch was a seamer, you are more likely to make misjudgments and over compensate. The Nagpur pitch last year was the same, Indian management put pressure on the curator to create a turning pitch and he under prepared it. You have somebody breathing over your shoulder, publicly, more likely to make mistakes.What should the team learn? Faf asked for a pitch with pace & bounce , not this. Is he to blame for curator being incompetent?
Faf will be very disappointed in both pitches prepared for the last 2 tests.
SA have not really bowled well this innings....3 wickets after 37 overs on a dangerous pitch is a pretty poor effort.
And what's worse is that I don't think this pitch was what Faf had in mind..just like the second test pitch.Rather than just letting the curator get on with their work, Faf (and co) has put them under extreme pressure to ensure that he gets the pitch he wants. Leaving more grass on the pitch than normal, more watering to make the grass green etc. If you felt you were being put under pressure to ensure that the pitch was a seamer, you are more likely to make misjudgments and over compensate. The Nagpur pitch last year was the same, Indian management put pressure on the curator to create a turning pitch and he under prepared it. You have somebody breathing over your shoulder, publicly, more likely to make mistakes.
So my personal opinion is that the curators have behaved differently than what they would normally have because of the pressure, and the SA management and CSA must take some responsibility.