***Official*** India in South Africa 2017/18

[SeamUp]

Khan and Petersen where really makeshift/middle order as well.... if you look at those names it is pretty much the 2 Cooks (both late in career), Hudson, Liebenberg and Bacher as true openers.

Used to say it many times but Virus reminded me of Hudders. Lots of failures in amongst the most beautifully boundary-ladden hundreds and some under serious pressure with a sporting wicket.

 

[StephenZA]

With respect to this pitch it does seem sporting to the visitors but we will see. The groundsmen cant blame too much sun though. You could creat a makeshift shade cloth tent in sbout 20 minutes.

Makes a huge difference if the air temp around the pitch is 35 degree rather than 25 deg... inexperienced curator though.

 

[SeamUp]

Makes a huge difference if the air temp around the pitch is 35 degree rather than 25 deg... inexperienced curator though.

Experienced assistance ?

Previous groundsman of many years to help ?

Rain on Tuesday ?

Supposedly the grass got scorched last week. Then what about using that hovercroft-thing that prevents from rain to.prevent from the sun at the hottest part of the day.

These are positions of importance and qualified. A lot about pitch prep is planning weeks in advance. Cape Town had a drought which is different and even tougher.

A lot about the pitch is good though just a bit disappointing that we are being a bit hospitable after our last tour to India.

 

[Woodster]

Elgar looked a sitting duck against Ashwin, he had to try and impose himself on him to some extent. Unlucky dismissal for me.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Ashwin's chance to contribute something significant in an overseas test for once.

 

[Daemon]

Ashwin's chance to contribute something significant in an overseas test for once.

yeah if he fails here I'd just bin him in future non-SC/WI tours for Kuldeep

 

[SeamUp]

Think Ashwin will have to take a 5-wicket bag here.

The one exciting thing will be to see Kesh under pressure with expectation against India's batting line-up later in the game.

 

[Black_Warrior]

Bhuvi officially dropped for Ishant.

I can understand their thinking behind it - there's zero lateral movement and you take that out, you take out 90% of Bhuvi. But I would have played Yadav because if the new ball is not swinging, you need a guy to swing the old ball and Yadav is the best old ball bowler in India

 

[Black_Warrior]

Eh, he was on thin ice leading into the Aus series IIRC, it isn't a huge surprise. He really didn't have a good 2016, so it's more the extended period that counts against him.

Kohli cleared mentioned current form in his press conference.

Rahane averages 54 in 2016, which is the highest he has ever averaged since making his debut.

 

[Black_Warrior]

This is Amla's best opportunity to get a hundred and find some form otherwise don't see him doing much against the Aus pace attack later

 

[Agent TBY]

I just woke up and !

All that talk about being the best Indian touring side in the last x years, maybe ever, and everyone got blindsided by the worst think tank.

Must be trying to cool off all that hype so that they can play under less pressure... or something. This is purely self-sabotage.

 

[Daemon]

I can understand their thinking behind it - there's zero lateral movement and you take that out, you take out 90% of Bhuvi. But I would have played Yadav because if the new ball is not swinging, you need a guy to swing the old ball and Yadav is the best old ball bowler in India

This is a bit of a myth imo. Bhuvi is brilliant when it's swinging, but he's by far the most accurate of our bowlers (maybe Ishant pips him), does a bit with the new ball no matter what and nips the ball off the seam.

Agree about the bit about reverse though, Yadav's brilliant when he gets it going.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Ishant was apparently supposed to play ahead of Bumrah in the first Test but was feeling unwell

No,he was supposed to play ahead of Bhuvi. Bumrah was ahead of him in the pecking order already. That's why I wasn't surprised one bit by this selection.

 

[SeamUp]

This is a bit of a myth imo. Bhuvi is brilliant when it's swinging, but he's by far the most accurate of our bowlers (maybe Ishant pips him), does a bit with the new ball no matter what and nips the ball off the seam.

Agree about the bit about reverse though, Yadav's brilliant when he gets it going.

New ball spells crucial on this wicket too.

Also accuracy for and if the cracks come.

 

[Daemon]

No,he was supposed to play ahead of Bhuvi. Bumrah was ahead of him in the pecking order already. That's why I wasn't surprised one bit by this selection.

Comms today were saying Bumrah. Makes sense, they wouldn't leave Bhuvi out on a greenish deck even based on their twisted selection logic.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Shami's been very patchy this tour. Disappointing.

 

[StephenZA]

New ball spells crucial on this wicket too.

Also accuracy for and when the cracks come.

correction....

 

[OverratedSanity]

They're getting a boundary almost every over.

 

[Firebreaker]

Markram bullying Indian bowlers just like he did against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe

 

[Black_Warrior]

Shami's been very patchy this tour. Disappointing.

Shami in the 1st innings and today has reminded me of Rahat Ali. Bowls excellent spells on pitches offering zero help and just when you think that he should enjoy pitches with some help, he bowls poorly.

Shami still a better bowler and came back strongly in the 2nd innings but without Bhuvi, India need a lot more from him today. Bumrah is 1 test old and Ishant is..well Ishant