***Official*** India in South Africa 2021-22

[Arachnodouche]

Five bowlers cuts you some slack in case one of them's having an off day. As a viewer I'm far less resigned to dejection when I know there's a couple of other arrows left in the quiver after first-change. If we're playing just the four here and Umesh misfires, we're forced to go to Ashwin on a pitch that's still fresh. Not ideal.

 

[eroticfishcake]

Need to take those chances with just 223 on the board

 

[OverratedSanity]

Shami used up his luck in the first test. Great over.

 

[CricAddict]

Five bowlers cuts you some slack in case one of them's having an off day. As a viewer I'm far less resigned to dejection when I know there's a couple of other arrows left in the quiver after first-change. If we're playing just the four here and Umesh misfires, we're forced to go to Ashwin on a pitch that's still fresh. Not ideal.

But why are we going into a test thinking one bowler will have an off day or one bowler will get injured etc. We should be going in with 4 bowlers who can perform well. If one bowler has an off day, there is no guarantee that the fifth bowler will not have one on the same day too.

And yes, I understand not all bowlers will be good on all days but that is why we have 4 bowlers.

 

[OverratedSanity]

One or two of the batsmen having a stinker is so much more likely than the bowlers being shite too. Shouldnt we be picking for insurance there then?

 

[karan_fromthestands]

 

[Daemon]

Maharaj could bat 3/5 for India

 

[Apex Predator]

Maharaj is playing a little gem here. Indian bowlers seem short of plan against him.

 

[Daemon]

One or two of the batsmen having a stinker is so much more likely than the bowlers being ****e too. Shouldnt we be picking for insurance there then?

tbf a batsman bagging a pair isn't close to as disastrous as being left with 3 bowlers in the middle of a test match

 

[OverratedSanity]

Expecting more gifts from the lords abode would be unfair. We wasted it previous game.

 

[Shady Slim]

maharaj is a good bat. always been a fan of sending your bowler who "can bat" out as the nightwatchman rather than your shunts bc if they do survive to the dawn it boosts your chance of getting something worthwhile out of the partnership

 

[cnerd123]

One or two of the batsmen having a stinker is so much more likely than the bowlers being ****e too. Shouldnt we be picking for insurance there then?

Bowlers get picked on batting ability all the time.

Ideally you enter a Test with 5 good bowling options, a quality wicketkeeper and batting till 8/9. Realistically this isn't always possible and so compromises get made. Usually in the 7/4 structure it's the quality of the 5th bowler that's compromised on, which is fine. Not having a 5th bowler at all is pretty bad tho.

When we play 5 bowlers, like we are now, we pick Thakur even tho we could have played Yadav all these games just because Thakur can score runs.

Yadav <3 Needed that.

 

[Calm_profit]

Who picked Unadkat instead of Umesh in that South Africa tour 2010?

 

[Apex Predator]

Umesh is lethal against right handers especially when he attacks stumps like in India.

 

[Arachnodouche]

Umesh with a tad more consistency abroad could've been a legitimate contender. Guy has every gift a fast bowler could ask for.

 

[Bahseph]

For SA to get a decent lead here we are going to need career best scores from atleast two of Petersen,VDD,Bavuma or Verreynne. It's a tough ask but it could be career making especially for Petersen and Verreynne.

 

[Prince EWS]

Umesh is lethal against right handers especially when he attacks stumps like in India.

Yeah especially India.

@sledger @GIMH

 

[Gnske]

Looked too high from the start, but unlike some recent shockers we've seen I can understand how Kohli got talked into that.

 

[Calm_profit]

Kohli!

 

[eroticfishcake]

too many dropping short. Just stand further up ffs