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

[OverratedSanity]

South Africa started the day with Amla and Elgar batting on 11/2. They've done well to not lose a wicket and get to 32/2 at the end of the day. Could have scored a bit quicker though.

That is what happened

 

[cnerd123]

Different batsmen have different approaches to getting their runs, batsmen like KP, AB and most of the current Indian line-up don't play conservative naturally. 20 wickets falling in a day is enough proof that the pitch isn't good enough to play test cricket and it's more an anomaly than a norm.

No, 20 wickets falling in a day is proof that these batsmen don't have the techniques or temperaments to play on these sort of pitches.

If these pitches aren't 'good' enough to play cricket on, then we'd be seeing even the most sound defensive batsmen and the most talented individuals struggle to have any impact. We's see batsmen being hit repeatedly by deliveries that bounce and spit unpredictably. We'd see players complaining to the umpires that conditions aren't fit to be playing in.

Instead, we've seen runs scored by Vijay, Pujara, ABDV, and gritty innings from the likes of Elgar, Amla, Saha. Even Jadeja has scored runs FFS. Scores are hovering around 200, with the exception of SA's first innings today, despite some absolutely **** batting. Can you imagine if all the batsmen batted properly? If we had two lineups filled with Vijays, Pujaras and ABDVs? No one would be saying **** about the pitch.

You want a dangerous wicket? Look at this:

That is substandard.

A pitch that is simply tough for batting is not sub standard.

If cricket is all about runs and boundaries for you, then this pitch is a poor one. But in that case you are wrong and a terrible cricket fan.

 

[artvandalay]

This is so lame.

We aren't 'defending' anything. You guys are going about calling these pitches 'poor' purely based on the scoreline. That's just lazy and inaccurate analysis. The pitches have been tough to bat on, but the reason these two Tests have been short is mainly due to some very **** batting and some very good spin bowling from Ashwin and Jadeja. By labelling the pitch as 'poor' and blaming it for the short games, you are absolving the batsmen of all culpability, and ignoring the prowess of the Indian spinners. Calling these pitches 'luck dominated' is just writing off the abilities and lack thereof of all the players. It's wrong, it's unfair, and frankly very **** posting.

That's why we're arguing with you.

Personally I love good bowling tracks. I want to see more cricket like this. I hate the rhetoric being spread in the media that these pitches are sub-standard. **** off. If we can have flat pitches, we can have pitches like these. Cricket should be played in all sorts of conditions. It's only substandard if there is literally nothing a batsman can do to survive. And that wasn't the case here. So **** off with that label and just enjoy the cricket. Or if you don't enjoy cricket where the bowlers dominate, then switch off the TV and go do something else. Stop bitching about the pitch.

It's not just the scoreline, I've been watching the game since yesterday. Ashwin and Jadeja have bowled well but not THAT well. The batsmen have made mistakes as well but it's not an either or situation, even if Saf somehow manage to win it tomorrow i'd still say that this pitch could have been better. It's based on this observation and the belief that there are gremlins on this wicket that many wickets have fallen, it's not something you can just brush off as a non-existent apparition that makes the batsmen play false strokes. The truth is somewhere in between as much as you want to qualify what happened as being perfectly acceptable which is fair enough, but I don't agree. Many of the batsmen HAVE needed luck and they're a pretty decent bunch some of them.
The flat pitches thing doesn't mean you need absolute minefields to tilt the balance, it's not a solution or an answer to it so don't bother arguing that straw man. Its entirely possible for there to be a criticism without it being afforded a cringe-worthy label like 'waah' because it isn't consistent with the widely accepted opinion here.

 

[OverratedSanity]

This pitch was called a "joke", "pathetic "," poor" etc. Those are some pretty cringe worthy and untrue labels.

 

[cnerd123]

The only way I can see someone criticising this wicket, is if that person personally is a big fan of batting. If your idea of a 'good' wicket is one where the batsman is rarely beaten and the bounce is even, then this will be poor.

I completely disagree with that view of a 'good' wicket. All pitches are good for me, provided they make for entertaining viewing, they allow for a result, there is room for skilful performers to dominate, and there is no physical danger posed to the players. The pitches in this series have meet all those criteria. I don't care if the games finish in 3 days and it's only the spinners dominating. These have been good wickets and it has been excellent to watch.

 

[artvandalay]

The only way I can see someone criticising this wicket, is if that person personally is a big fan of batting. If your idea of a 'good' wicket is one where the batsman is rarely beaten and the bounce is even, then this will be poor.

I completely disagree with that view of a 'good' wicket. All pitches are good for me, provided they make for entertaining viewing, they allow for a result, there is room for skilful performers to dominate, and there is no physical danger posed to the players. The pitches in this series have meet all those criteria. I don't care if the games finish in 3 days and it's only the spinners dominating. These have been good wickets and it has been excellent to watch.

Something about opinions and arseholes. Lets just agree to disagree.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Love the way people are saying the batsmen have thrown their wickets away in an attempt to defend the pitch. Batsmen are playing what should be high percentage shots and getting out because of the pitch. Countless drag ons and balls being mistimed to the infield. That is a trait of a bad pitch.

 

[Furball]

Love the way people are saying the batsmen have thrown their wickets away in an attempt to defend the pitch. Batsmen are playing what should be high percentage shots and getting out because of the pitch. Countless drag ons and balls being mistimed to the infield. That is a trait of a bad pitch.

Have we been watching the same game?

 

[Black_Warrior]

So SA send their worst test batsmen to be nightwatchman twice in a game where their captain can barely put bat to ball? This is a new low in idiocy.

 

[AndyZaltzHair]

*Vijay-Pujara-AB* is the new meme

 

[harsh.ag]

Love the way people are saying the batsmen have thrown their wickets away in an attempt to defend the pitch. Batsmen are playing what should be high percentage shots and getting out because of the pitch. Countless drag ons and balls being mistimed to the infield. That is a trait of a bad pitch.

Yeah, no.

 

[Black_Warrior]

I haven't watched this game enough to be able to comment on the pitch but these are some words from Sambit Bal

This Nagpur pitch has taken the idea of home advantage to a level where it's no longer a contest between bat and ball. The problem with this pitch was that it was a like fifth-day surface on the first day.

 

[RossTaylorsBox]

Where did this concept of a good pitch come from anyway?

 

[harsh.ag]

Vijay hasn't still made a huge one and both Pujara and AB have actually needed quite a bit of luck to make runs here. Not all batsmen have the same approach to getting runs, a guy like AB will always play his shots for e.g so much so that at times you can't really blame him when he does get out doing so.

You can, and you must. This isn't a T20 game. His duty isn't to play shots for the sake of playing shots. His job is to counter the bowling and the pitch to the best of his abilities, which abilities have been handed down by a generation of coaches, coaches who would be the first to admit that the Saffers batted poorly and exercised poor temperament.

 

[Furball]

It's a lottery for the batsmen

If the pitch was a lottery, then we'd have balls leaping and spitting off a length, taking the glove and keeping a plethora of close fielders interested. Instead, we've had low scores largely because batsmen on both sides are playing dumb shots.

How is it fantastic? It's difficult to make even a 40 on the wicket. Its not a contest between bat and ball. One cannot be set. It's a one sided game and instead of any player being the star, the pitches are the star for the wrong reasons.

Ravichandran Ashwin and Morne Morkel dislike this.

 

[Furball]

I haven't watched this game enough to be able to comment on the pitch but these are some words from Sambit Bal

Sambit Bal is wrong.

 

[Burner]

There was runs to be made in this pitch. Batsmen had to be gritty, look ugly and persevere, almost all the batsmen except maybe Vijay and Pujara were unwilling to do that. As cliche as it sounds, if you are willing to grind it out , you will get runs. Most of the wickets today were down to SA batsmen trying to hit their way out of trouble and Indian batsmen just being Indian batsmen when they are on top.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Using Sambit Bal's opinion to back up my point is not something I'd ever do.

 

[Furball]

Go back 5 years in a time machine, grab Sehwag, Gambhir, Dravid, Tendulkar and Laxman and bring their 2010 selves to 2015 and dump them on this pitch and India would have made 300-350 easily.

 

[harsh.ag]

Sambit Bal is wrong indeed. This is a difficult pitch to bat on. It requires great batting skills against spin bowling and a fantastic temperament, because you can't afford to play loose shots. This is a bowler friendly wicket, no doubt, but nowhere near a lottery or anything of that sort.

I don't care what sort of pitches you criticize elsewhere, and what is your usual stance on other ****. "I think that is a bad pitch too" does not fly. This is the kind of pitch which our generation of batsmen have forgotten how to face, and are loathe to do so. That is the reality of this match and this series.