***Official*** South Africa in India 2015

[flibbertyjibber]

Fair play this is a gubbing and a half in a decider.

 

[Contra]

wow SA were 207-2 after the same point.

 

[Jono]

wow SA were 207-2 after the same point.

been trying to tell everyone this. didn't need to bat like Rohit did. The others fair enough dismissals.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Not pretty

 

[kykweer.proteas]

Nice to see dale warming up for the test series.

 

[kykweer.proteas]

well... nice win

 

[Shri]

ABdV is ****ing awesome, that's all.

 

[AndyZaltzHair]

ABdV is ****ing awesome, that's all.

Clearly not aware of this

 

[Pratters]

OS, Daemon, Pratters - thoughts on this being up there with some of the dumbest cricket India have played for a while. Not necessarily worst but just strategically stupid decisions?

Oh, yes, India was really stupid today. Dhoni is a mediocre captain. Many times, he is far too defensive. He basically works to minimise risks, He would rather have a bowler who he think can keep it tight compared to some one who might take wickets, even if the bowler went for a few. He tries to be clinical but it doesn't work.

After the first four overs, it was quite clear the pacers weren't going to get any thing out of this wicket yet despite the bounce being there. He should have gone for the spinners straight away. Some how, the ball got wet when the seamers came on. Did the bowlers or fielders put a lot of their sweaty hands on it or slide on the ball, I don't know. So, while the pitch offered turn, the first 15 overs or so, the spinners couldn't exploit it.

The bowlers kept bowling in particular areas which the batsmen knew. The field placements weren't the smartest either. It was like an exhibition game, as Gavaskar said.

Its indicting enough that Raina and Kohli kept the batsmen tight to an extent while the professional bowlers couldn't. I don't know who has told Bhuvneshwar Kumar to bowl fast. He can't control the lines when he does it when he bowls it full at this pace. When he bowls it short, it's easy pickings as it's so predictable with every ball a short ball.

South Africa, meanwhile played very well. They went for fours in the first power play. Then looked for 1s and 2s and kept hitting the boundaries. After they lost the wicket around 30th over, they safeguarded their wicket so that they could attack even more later. Between overs 31-40 as men were in the boundary, they tried and hit sixes instead of fours.

 

[Pratters]

At least this series has shown us that Rahane belongs in the ODI team for sure. He is too classy a player not to be there.

 

[honestbharani]

Oh, yes, India was really stupid today. Dhoni is a mediocre captain. Many times, he is far too defensive. He basically works to minimise risks, He would rather have a bowler who he think can keep it tight compared to some one who might take wickets, even if the bowler went for a few. He tries to be clinical but it doesn't work.

After the first four overs, it was quite clear the pacers weren't going to get any thing out of this wicket yet despite the bounce being there. He should have gone for the spinners straight away. Some how, the ball got wet when the seamers came on. Did the bowlers or fielders put a lot of their sweaty hands on it or slide on the ball, I don't know. So, while the pitch offered turn, the first 15 overs or so, the spinners couldn't exploit it.

The bowlers kept bowling in particular areas which the batsmen knew. The field placements weren't the smartest either. It was like an exhibition game, as Gavaskar said.

Its indicting enough that Raina and Kohli kept the batsmen tight to an extent while the professional bowlers couldn't. I don't know who has told Bhuvneshwar Kumar to bowl fast. He can't control the lines when he does it when he bowls it full at this pace. When he bowls it short, it's easy pickings as it's so predictable with every ball a short ball.

South Africa, meanwhile played very well. They went for fours in the first power play. Then looked for 1s and 2s and kept hitting the boundaries. After they lost the wicket around 30th over, they safeguarded their wicket so that they could attack even more later. Between overs 31-40 as men were in the boundary, they tried and hit sixes instead of fours.

Dhoni is far from a mediocre captain in ODIs. He is the best we have had, period. He is a defensive captain, yes but that has won us games and trophies. Right now, though, I think he is shot. He is showing the same signs that Ganguly did around late 2004 and early 2005 when we were clearly holding on to him too long as a captain. I wonder if Dhoni quitting captaincy will help us rediscover Dhoni the batsman. It happened with Ganguly.

 

[AndyZaltzHair]

I don't know who has told Bhuvneshwar Kumar to bowl fast. He can't control the lines when he does it when he bowls it full at this pace. When he bowls it short, it's easy pickings as it's so predictable with every ball a short ball.

Bhuvi needs to go back to his strength that is to swing with control. While it's good to have the ability to crank it up to surprise sometimes but this transformation to a full fledged 137k seamer is not suiting him. In last match think Harsha and other commentators also brought the issue up.

 

[smash84]

Dhoni is far from a mediocre captain in ODIs. He is the best we have had, period. He is a defensive captain, yes but that has won us games and trophies. Right now, though, I think he is shot. He is showing the same signs that Ganguly did around late 2004 and early 2005 when we were clearly holding on to him too long as a captain. I wonder if Dhoni quitting captaincy will help us rediscover Dhoni the batsman. It happened with Ganguly.

This.

Looks completely jaded all the time.

A good break from the game might help him

 

[aussie]

Rabada my favourite cricket in the world right now. Keeps this up he is end his S Africa career as the greatest black player in their history.

As history shows except for ENGs win in IND 2012, pace has won in India since they became a force at home in the 1970s - WI 74, 84, AUS 2004, SA 2000, ENG 76 & 85. Rabada should start in front of Philander in test series alongside Steyn/Morkel & once SA batsmen handle IND spinners well enough, they will easily replicate what Hansie Cronje 2000 side did & finally conquer IND in their long journey as # 1 test team since 2007.

 

[Pratters]

I don't mind Bhuvi eventually becoming a bit faster but only when he can add control. It's a positive development, just not good enough to use in international level yet.

 

[honestbharani]

Bhuvi needs to go back to his strength that is to swing with control. While it's good to have the ability to crank it up to surprise sometimes but this transformation to a full fledged 137k seamer is not suiting him. In last match think Harsha and other commentators also brought the issue up.

People often confuse speed with discipline. Rabada bowls at 150 and he still has excellent discipline. Bhuvi's strength is his swing but if he is doing that at 125 to 130 kph,batsmen will manage him very very easily at the international level. Him putting on speed is good but he needs to work on his discipline and since it looks like the pace he has is fairly a new development in his bowling, it might take him a little while to marry that to discipline and consistency. Trust me a couple of degrees of less swing will be worth it if it is at a pace that will worry the batsman.

 

[indiaholic]

That's my problem.. Don't think Bhuvi will ever be fast enough to worry anybody. If there is a tradeoff with swing, then its just not worth it.

 

[indiaholic]

His pace is not the real problem though. Don't like the length he is bowling.

 

[honestbharani]

Yeah, that is what I meant. We should not do the mistake we did with Irfan Pathan. His pace is fine, ensure he is a lot more accurate and then see how much swing he does get and whether that is good enough to trouble international batsmen or not. People just see a swing bowler come in young, then gather pace as they grow and immediately start singing hymns about how he is moving away from his real strength etc. Banana swing will not be enough to trouble international batsmen by itself, esp. when it hoops straight off your hand and continues in the same direction after pitching.

 

[Jono]

well, that was a paddlin'