***Official*** India in South Africa

[adharcric]

Well played son. Awesome partnership between Ganguly and Pathan. Pathan has locked up the 8 spot for the 1st test barring a horrific bowling performance IMO.

 

[TT Boy]

Fifty for Pathan, Adams not having the best of starts, getting a bit of treatment. Hundred should be on the cards for Ganguly, Kemp is brought into the attack and unless Ganguly does a Sachin he should be pretty comfortable until the new ball arrives. Encouraging stuff from these two though it must be pretty discomforting knowing that their top order got blown away on the flattest wicket in South Africa.

 

[Dravid]

Great batting by Irfan. Showing full support to Ganguly.

 

[PhoenixFire]

Pathan, a true batting all-rounder, what a gun.

 

[Dravid]

Pathan, a true batting all-rounder, what a gun.

I believe he's a much better bowler than batsman. He's just been out of form cause the idiots don't give him the new ball.


51.6 Kemp to Ganguly, 1 wide, That's a shocker, quite wide. Almost straight to the slip fielder. Has Steve Harmison had an effect all over the world?

 

[adharcric]

I believe he's a much better bowler than batsman. He's just been out of form cause the idiots don't give him the new ball.

Actually, it's the other way around: they don't give him the new ball because he's been out of form. In the West Indies and Malaysia, he wasted the new ball. He's improved lately though. There's no question that he can be a huge asset to India certainly in ODIs and probably in tests, but he needs to bowl in the right areas consistently to make that a reality.

 

[silentstriker]

Good.

For a second I thought you were evolving into your GM-OLAS preacher.

Ehhhhhh? My pessimism is borne out a long and storied history of snatching defeat where it previously seemed impossible.

And I am quite impressed with Ganguly.

 

[TT Boy]

Pathan, a true batting all-rounder, what a gun.

According to some of the guys on here his the new Wasim Akram. Must be the lack of pace and potency which drew the resemblance.

 

[PhoenixFire]

According to some of the guys on here his the new Wasim Akram. Must be the lack of pace and potency which drew the resemblance.

No Wasim Akram was the old Irfan Pathan.

 

[adharcric]

According to some of the guys on here his the new Wasim Akram. Must be the lack of pace and potency which drew the resemblance.

Such a try-hard.

 

[silentstriker]

According to some of the guys on here his the new Wasim Akram. Must be the lack of pace and potency which drew the resemblance.

It was the reverse swinging yorker at 90mph TBH.

 

[Dravid]

Actually, it's the other way around: they don't give him the new ball because he's been out of form. In the West Indies and Malaysia, he wasted the new ball. He's improved lately though. There's no question that he can be a huge asset to India certainly in ODIs and probably in tests, but he needs to bowl in the right areas consistently to make that a reality.

Pathan is useless with the old ball. You can't expect him to come back in form with it.

 

[PhoenixFire]

Well don't pick him then, if he can't bowl with the new ball or the old one, what use is he?

 

[adharcric]

Pathan is useless with the old ball. You can't expect him to come back in form with it.

Well yeah I didn't say they were making the right call in giving him the old ball but rather pointing out that he got into his form slump while bowling with the new-ball. It's only natural that they give the new-ball to someone who can use it well, but if they're going to back Pathan they can't do a half-asses impression of it.

 

[adharcric]

Well don't pick him then, if he can't bowl with the new ball or the old one, what use is he?

On form, he's India's best new-ball bowler and one of the best in the world. The only reason he's got potential is because he can swing the new ball and bat well in the lower-order.

 

[TT Boy]

Well don't pick him then, if he can't bowl with the new ball or the old one, what use is he?

If the Indian top order could buy a run then I think he would be dropped, his lost the new ball job and his old ball bowling is even worse but his scoring runs so he should be pretty safe.

 

[PhoenixFire]

I might get laughed at here, but isn't Munaf Patel a better option to start the bowling than Pathan.

 

[silentstriker]

On form, he's India's best new-ball bowler and one of the best in the world.

Are you insane? Better new ball bowlers: Lee, McGrath, Bond, Vaas, Ntini, Pollock.....and about 15 others.

 

[silentstriker]

I might get laughed at here, but isn't Munaf Patel a better option to start the bowling than Pathan.

No. And he's hurt anyway. I'd rather give the new one to Sreesanth than Munaf.

 

[Dravid]

I might get laughed at here, but isn't Munaf Patel a better option to start the bowling than Pathan.

Pathan is much more usefull with the new ball because of the amount of swing he gets imo.