India in South Africa

[borncricketer]

LOl yea sai i know the match starts at 2:30am EST, but i will be up at 4 and btw i am in Toronto, Canada

 

[aditya123]

I somehow feel that we`ll escape out from this game with the help of the weather.

Otherwise, with 98 overs possible and 318 to get , India have no chance to draw this game with Dravid and Sehwag gone.

Dravid was one player who could have stayed there for hours and Sehwag was the one who could have taken it away from the Proteas.
With both of them gone, it all hinges on the weather.

Before anyone jumps upon me bringing Sachin into th picture and pointing out his records and his decent current form, I would like to also reiterate that Iam a great Tendulkar fan but somehow, nowadays he does not inspire the sort of conidence of him saving the game or us.

I would like to be proved wrong here.

In theory 318 from 98 overs is just 3 R.P.O but practically it is far bigger than that.
The Indians have got to assume that it is a 98 over day and not a 65 over day while going on to bat.

We`ve seen in the recent past that we do not do well when we are asked to bat out for a draw (refer Karachi,Mumbai in 2006).

 

[gamerkid22]

But according to me its not playing full 98 overs its just to play out well till tea as bad light comes just after Tea. So India should concentrate more on not losing wickets till tea.

 

[hindustani]

well ill be watchin the game at 1:30 am.

 

[SaiSrini]

Only thing that India has to do today - no matter what, try desperately not to think about the result of this test match. They got to fight the mental battle now. There is no demons in the pitch. Its still playing well for the batsmen. The South African bowling has been tight, but not threatening or menacing.

India need to fight their mental battle. Thoughts would flood to Karachi 2005 or Mumbai 2005, but they need to shut those out. They need to focus on staying positive (it has been repeated umpteen times here, but let me do it again). They have to bat at the regular current test match run rate which is 3.5 to 4! They have to know that attack is the best form of defence.

I somewhat disagree with aditya! Sachin is an exceptional player but he has got lot of problems to deal with his mind. But somehow I feel Sachin might be in for another good knock here. May be not that 'big one' but a crucial knock that will help India! I feel Dhoni will be crucial here. If he can bat in his usual self, I still think India can do well. If Jaffer and Sachin stay in the middle for quite sometime and then one of them gets out, I would send Dhoni in to ruffle the SA feathers.

Lots to play for today! Important day of the test series! If we lose today, we would have squandered all the advantage, confidence, etc that we got from Wanderers. It will be back to square one and I would then have no hope for us to win the series at Cape Town, even if its a square turner!

Come on India, we can do it!

 

[hindustani]

yea go india match starting ne minute now

 

[SaiSrini]

Its 2:35am now and no signs of the match starting!

Have the umpires already given bad light??? The light looks horrible! Will it improve? Will we see play start any soon?

Cricinfo says the light is unlikely to improve. if no play happens today, it would be sad on South Africa!

 

[hindustani]

but it would be good for us. india would leave with the one win lead in the series

 

[SaiSrini]

i want india to draw the match with their bat and go to Cape Town with their head held high!

 

[hindustani]

their head would still be held high they denied sa a chance of winning and tieing the series

 

[aditya123]

Only thing that India has to do today - no matter what, try desperately not to think about the result of this test match. They got to fight the mental battle now. There is no demons in the pitch. Its still playing well for the batsmen. The South African bowling has been tight, but not threatening or menacing.

India need to fight their mental battle. Thoughts would flood to Karachi 2005 or Mumbai 2005, but they need to shut those out. They need to focus on staying positive (it has been repeated umpteen times here, but let me do it again). They have to bat at the regular current test match run rate which is 3.5 to 4! They have to know that attack is the best form of defence.

I somewhat disagree with aditya! Sachin is an exceptional player but he has got lot of problems to deal with his mind. But somehow I feel Sachin might be in for another good knock here. May be not that 'big one' but a crucial knock that will help India! I feel Dhoni will be crucial here. If he can bat in his usual self, I still think India can do well. If Jaffer and Sachin stay in the middle for quite sometime and then one of them gets out, I would send Dhoni in to ruffle the SA feathers.

Lots to play for today! Important day of the test series! If we lose today, we would have squandered all the advantage, confidence, etc that we got from Wanderers. It will be back to square one and I would then have no hope for us to win the series at Cape Town, even if its a square turner!

Come on India, we can do it!

Nothing against Sachin.
He is a class player and I have no doubts on his ability

But I have started to get the feeling that he does not look the batsman who has 75 Intl centuries.
However, he has looked very fluent indeed in this test series.

His best innings was the one at Chennai against Pakistan in 1999.
Unfortunately, we did not have the batting support to finish it off.

I would like India to draw it by slugging it out on the wicket and not by the easier route of the weather.

Play finally about to start on the 5th day now.
Its only because of the floodlights that we will be seing some play.

The clouds look ominous though.

 

[SaiSrini]

Yeah, play about to start, but I feel still the light looks really bad...

60% chance of showers today??? lets see how it goes.

 

[hindustani]

cmocn india i hope they are able to hold the opeing onslaught

 

[surendar]

Yeah, play about to start, but I feel still the light looks really bad...

60% chance of showers today??? lets see how it goes.

Lets leave the weather now Lets have confidence on our batsmen more than weather!


What India needs now is, one huge massive partnership like we had Dravid-Laxman against Aussies in India.

No silly shots, no silly tries, no trying to reach the ball and play ( especially Sachin)..... All they need to do is,

* Leave the bouncers to go to Wkt Kepr
* Leave the deliveries outside the offstumps
* Play the ball in middle of the bat.. no edges, this implies that play only when confident on the shot selection
* Punish the bad deliveries carefully though

In other words, as Sai said,
" Respect the good ones and punish the bad ones "

Also, if remember right, long time back, Lara in one of the match against Aussies helped his team to get to a target of 300+ in the last day i guess. Its before he got 400... Sorry if am wrong though!

What i want to say, Play with cool positive attidude and the rest wud be automatically done.

 

[SaiSrini]

What a poor poor start for India?

Sachin Tendulkar out for DUCK! great start for SA. India in danger now