*Official* India in South Africa

[Blaze 18]

Man, couldn't Boucher have chosen some other match to get back into form

Anyways, South Africa have their noses in front at this point, but I don't think this match is beyond India. India have chased some testing fourth innings totals in the recent past, and while it won't be easy at all against Dale Steyn, India have the batsmen to get the runs.

P.S Has the pitch eased out ?

 

[Teja.]

Such an awesome innings from Boucher this has been too. Even though I think he's finished he's still playing an absolutely crucial knock in tough conditions. Dhoni take note.

Ref: Dhoni's knocks in the first test.

 

[Jono]

Man, couldn't Boucher have chosen some other match to get back into form

Anyways, South Africa have their noses in front at this point, but I don't think this match is beyond India. India have chased some testing fourth innings totals in the recent past, and while it won't be easy at all against Dale Steyn, India have the batsmen to get the runs.

P.S Has the pitch eased out ?

You're dreaming mate.

The pitch has eased out, but it'll be hell again against the new ball in Steyn's hands.

We're done.

There are still 4 wickets to get after this FFS.

 

[Jono]

Ref: Dhoni's knocks in the first test.

Meh who gives a ****. Was a good knock but not 1/3 as valuable as this.

 

[Marius]

Looks like Mark Boucher is playing a career saving knock here.

His keeping is still up to scratch, it was batting where there could have been improvements.

 

[Prince EWS]

"Team which wins the session wins this match" - Ravi Shastri

I actually think that is 100% spot on. We've said "what an important session coming up" all match. But this time, whoever plays the best over the next 2 hours wins IMO.

Haha yeah but every time we say that it ends up being even. Teams to take tea at 200/8. Match still on a knife edge.

Well, no arguments about who won that session, and I still think the game is faaaaar from over. Would only have South Africa marginal favourites; I don't think the pitch is anywhere near as difficult as some, particularly given South Africa don't have a right arm off spinner and India only have one left handed batsman.

 

[Gilly Fan]

Great innings by Boucher under intense pressure. May have saved is career for the short term. He's also only 270 runs behind Gilchrist for the most runs by a wicketkeeper in test history. It would be a great achievement if he got there.

 

[Teja.]

You're dreaming mate.

The pitch has eased out, but it'll be hell again against the new ball in Steyn's hands.

We're done.

There are still 4 wickets to get after this FFS.

And under Dhoni's tali-ender law, Every tail wicket = 4 normal wickets.

 

[Uppercut]

Man, couldn't Boucher have chosen some other match to get back into form

He wouldn't be Mark Boucher if he did...

 

[vic_orthdox]

Huge first spell with the new ball, really. If India can manage to come out of it relatively unscathed, and only be two down after 20, then anything around 270 is very possible.

 

[Cevno]

The Ball got soft and stopped to reverse or bite from the rough.

 

[pasag]

You can't call your side the best in the world and then genuinely believe they have no chance at chasing down 270 or batting out a day to draw a match. It's one or the other.

 

[Daemon]

**** you Kallis!!

 

[Cevno]

Such an awesome innings from Boucher this has been too. Even though I think he's finished he's still playing an absolutely crucial knock in tough conditions. Dhoni take note.

Dhoni has played many Crucial knocks,too in tough conditions.

Match saving knock in England comes to mind ,straightaway.

 

[Prince EWS]

Ref: Dhoni's knocks in the first test.

Yeah, I gave him credit for those, but he doesn't play them anywhere near enough and as Jono said, nowhere near as valuable as this one. Despite the pretty significant difference in averages I'd still rate Boucher (at least before he declined) a better batsman than Dhoni because batting seven's such a different role and he's nailed it.

 

[GotSpin]

You can't call your side the best in the world and then genuinely believe they have no chance at chasing down 270 or batting out a day to draw a match. It's one or the other.

It's Jono. He's putting the anti-jinxes or some crap on

 

[Cevno]

**** you kallis!!

+1

 

[Blaze 18]

You're dreaming mate.

The pitch has eased out, but it'll be hell again against the new ball in Steyn's hands.

We're done.

There are still 4 wickets to get after this FFS.

Nah, we are far from done. India aren't losing this.

 

[Jono]

Well, no arguments about who won that session, and I still think the game is faaaaar from over. Would only have South Africa marginal favourites; I don't think the pitch is anywhere near as difficult as some, particularly given South Africa don't have a right arm off spinner and India only have one left handed batsman.

Haha interesting, because I completely stand by what I said. In fact, this session confirmed it for me.

That session was the most important session of the series for mine. Forget the collapse in the first test with Indian batsmen playing on a damp wicket with no practice, forget India somehow bowling SA out for 130-odd in Durban, and even forget both Kallis' first dig and Sachin's first dig knocks.

Kallis and Boucher's sensible and brilliant batting, and Dhoni's horrid field settings will be what defines the result of this series. And I am being 100% serious, no anti-jinx.

 

[Thom Yorke]

If Ishant had lost one hair/bad ball he bowled since 2010, he'd be bald by now