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

[Black_Warrior]

Ignore the misleading headlines.

Basically Kohli's justification for no practice games is that you never know what the wicket will be like, so he rather practice on the wickets that they can control, rather than leave it up to CSA to potentially make them waste two days on a wicket that will be nothing like what they might face.

This is actually a really good point and I won't be surprised if more teams start doing this. The ridiculous headlines just shows how poorly this is understood in the media.

Basically, more and more teams are now doing this - they provide a pitch for the warm up which is very very different from the ones they would provide in the Test series.

Australia, India, England, South Africa, New Zealand - all have done it in the recent past.

This basically makes your warm up game a useless affair. Totally agree with Kohli on this

 

[Black_Warrior]

tbf they asked for the kids birth cert, not exactly something you keep on you while travelling..



Strange rule. Emirates obviously not to blame, although they should've probably communicated it when the tickets were purchased or something.

If I ever had to describe the challenges I face in my day job, this would be a great example. I work in the transport industry (not airline) and each country has very strict and different regulations for cargo. Being the shipping line, we have to communicate it to customers and when they don't like a ruling which disqualifies their cargo from making it on board, guess who they think is at fault.

Emirates might/might not have communicated clearly but either way, what I have learnt from this industry where each country has a different set of rules and requirements and most common people are not aware of the, if you're the one bearing the bad news, you're the one who gets the blame

 

[weldone]

That sounds like a sensible thing to do - not picking Steyn in a 4-man attack at this stage. This also means there won't be any all-rounder - which is good IMO. Strong team this:

Markram
Elgar
Amla
Faf
AB
Bavuma
QDK
Philander
Maharaj
Rabada
Morkel

 

[Woodster]

Yes can fully understand SA not wanting to risk Steyn in a four-man attack, and I guess the only way he was going to get in was if Vern batted at 7 with QDK at 6 allowing Steyn to ease his way in.

This does look a much stronger batting line-up now in terms of depth with Vern coming in at 8.

 

[Daemon]

ugh but i want to watch steyn ffs

 

[Bahseph]

Hmm we are much more likely to see Morris at 7 in the Highveld. So Steyn should play then. Hopefully.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Just play your best bowler ffs. Which he still is.

 

[Black_Warrior]

Great Ad by CSA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=VGTVaLmP7WI

 

[Stefan9]

How is Steyn ruled out just cause Ottis said he wouldn't play in a 3 man attack. He should be playing ahead of Andile , with faf in for bavuma. So in a 4 man seam attack with keshav.

I see the press reading things into what Ottis has said. Let's see on Friday.

 

[Black_Warrior]

Just play your best bowler ffs. Which he still is.

Yeah exactly. Even if you're playing 3 seamers and considering the Morkel and Rabada's form, Steyn is clearly the better skilled bowler.

 

[Black_Warrior]

My Indian side for the 1st Test

Vijay
Dhawan
Pujara
Kohli
Rahane
Pandya
Saha
Ashwin
Shami
Bhuvi
Yadav

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

Ashwin should bat ahead of Saha

 

[weldone]

Hmm we are much more likely to see Morris at 7 in the Highveld. So Steyn should play then. Hopefully.

Yes ideally that would happen - but if they play both Morris and Steyn then I don't know how to take care of the quota. Maybe one of Amla or AB will have to be rested for Bavuma lol.

 

[Gob]

What a joke this is as bad as not playing Ryan Harris at Trentbridge back in 13.****ing quota is a joke

 

[weldone]

Playing 5 bowlers in the first test will be a recipe for disaster for India. They should try for a draw in Cape Town imo. (which Kohli won't)

 

[Gob]

Elgar
Markram
Amla
DeVilliers
DuPlesis
DeKock
Vern
Maharaj
Steyn
Rabada
Morkel

Clearly the strongest side i can think of

 

[StephenZA]

"He might well play this weekend, depending on the make-up of the team," said Gibson ahead of the start of the three-match series on Friday. But with Steyn having broken down in three of the last five tests he has played since late 2015, Gibson said he had to be cautious.
"I wouldn't think that if you were to pick a three-man seam attack plus a spinner that you would want to put him into that three-man attack in case something happened. It would leave you too vulnerable in case he doesn't finish a game."
Gibson said, though, that there was a possibility, depending on conditions, that South Africa might opt for an extra bowler, which would bring Steyn into the picture.

I'm not quite sure if the press is reading in a bit much to the comments; it will depend on the make-up of the team it was always possible if we played a 7/4 batsmen/bowler that either Morkel or Steyn would sit out of the team, and it is difficult to drop any of Morkel, Rabada, Philander with the form they have shown.

The team is picked by committee with Faf, Gibson and Convenor of Selectors deciding night before the game. So if we go 6/5 with Philander at 7 I would expect Steyn to play. It is possible that Morris would get in to play at 7 but the Zim game they played Philander at 7 even with Phehlukwayo in the team as an all-rounder. So ultimately it depends on Gibson, who seems to want an all-rounder at 7, deciding on how important that is, and the convener deciding how important the quota is, thus playing Bavuma. Right now we are ahead of quota (which I think has been deliberate with regards the Bang/Zim games). This will be the first true litmus test of Gibsons thoughts. I suspect we end up with a 7/4 with Bavuma playing; but I hope we are bold and trust our top 6, playing the 6/5, with Steyn in and Bavuma out.

 

[Stefan9]

Elgar
Markram
Amla
DeVilliers
DuPlesis
DeKock
Vern
Maharaj
Steyn
Rabada
Morkel

Clearly the strongest side i can think of

This side I want. Best balance we can come up with.

 

[StephenZA]

Elgar
Markram
Amla
DeVilliers
DuPlesis
DeKock
Vern
Maharaj
Steyn
Rabada
Morkel

Clearly the strongest side i can think of

That's the side we all want to see.... but Gibsons insistence on an all-rounder at 7 and/or the quota system will determine if that is the side we do see. Hopefully sense prevails.

 

[Dendarii]

Yes ideally that would happen - but if they play both Morris and Steyn then I don't know how to take care of the quota.

You take care of it by making up the numbers in the ODIs/T20s. The quota is an average across the entire season, not a requirement for every match.