India tour of South Africa - 2013/14

[scratch978]

Anticlimactic end due to cowardice bowling and batting. Feeling bad for the crowd.

If you think losing is better than making the match a draw..

 

[SaiSrini]

Anticlimactic end due to cowardice bowling and batting. Feeling bad for the crowd.

You can't say that for India. For a team that has been so bad overseas, another defeat and that too after having dominated 75-80% of the match would have been heartbreaking, from where India will most likely not recover. So India were justified in making sure they didn't lose.

Well done lads!!! If you told India at the start of the test that they will draw this, we'd have taken it. An opportunity missed to win, but we are still on a clean slate going into Durban, where we have won before.

 

[scratch978]

It was an epic game, let me tell you. What a final day as well. Test cricket at it's very best.
This is the reason many cricketers believed that t20 would never affect test.
Tests have their own Taste.

 

[greymatter776]

The most insane cricket match I have ever seen,truly speaking I never cared to on to come here while watching such a great match.

India batted well and I felt India would for sure win this one.But after that great knock from Faf I thought SA will tie it or win it.By the last 5-10 overs I was pretty sure SA is gonna win it.
The wicket of Du Plessis really made a huge difference.Hats off to Rahane for that.Steyn hardly looked determined to win it,he was definitely looking for the draw.
Truly speaking INSANE batting in the end from SA.

They should have really tried to win it

 

[Meet]

Steyn ends a complete enjoyable and thrilling test match with a SIX. The way SA batted, they deserved a win(its other thing that I would definitely not be able to accept it), but well, a draw is a much better outcome. This match had ups and downs for both the teams, and a draw is probably the best outcome one would like. But then, SA chances got narrower due to some foolish run outs and due to fall of some crucial wickets. But then, you should admit, you would never expected such batting display from SA on a 5th day pitch.
A lovely match, well played lads.

 

[greymatter776]

Steyn actually showed that he is capable of hitting big.Then why did he tried to block it when he can win it??
Anyway I feel blessed to watch this"Epic game" and the most entertaining test ever

 

[aditya123]

Before we start discussing this test match threadbare, let us laud both sides for the effort. Even those who were`nt successful in the end put a huge effort into this game. Zaheer might have not been at his best but it was a fantastic effort by him to bowl 12 overs unchanged from one end. Faf and de Villiers were fantastic as well. At different phases of the test match someone stood up for their respective sides to keep them in the game. How crucial were those direct hits by Rahane, especially the one at the end to get rid of Faf!

Epic! Test cricket, you continue to amaze. I`m really happy for our young side who fought tooth and nail to compete and eventually dominated most part of the game. For a young side which is essentially making their debuts as a frest side overseas, there could`nt have been a better test match to get them ready for test cricket. Literally everyone in that side would come out a better player from this experience. This is what makes careers.

 

[scratch978]

Unlike the pattern that has followed this match, the final over turned out to be a damp squib as Shami kept bowling short and Steyn was happy to leave. At one point, I could hear someone utter an expletive into the stump microphone. These were the words, but I have to asterisk the expletive part: 'Too many ******* run-outs!' I'm assuming it came from Steyn, but not too sure. Anyway, Steyn took out all his anger by slamming the last ball over the fence, to bring to an end one of the all-time great Test matches in history to a rousing close.

 

[isrararrafi]

As a south africa fan, although i am proud of they way they batted in the 4th innings, they should have gone for the win. It was a chance to make history. Yes they moght have lost a test match, but they also could have been able to draw the series later. Now the last game is basically a knockout game.

 

[SpitfiresKent]

South Africa could have won that but as usual they bottled it. If I was a South African cricket fan i'd be fuming with the way the match ended but if I was Indian cricket fan i'd be jumping with joy shouting ''How the hell did we get away with a draw!?''.

 

[playkid12]

You can't say that for India. For a team that has been so bad overseas, another defeat and that too after having dominated 75-80% of the match would have been heartbreaking, from where India will most likely not recover. So India were justified in making sure they didn't lose.

Well done lads!!! If you told India at the start of the test that they will draw this, we'd have taken it. An opportunity missed to win, but we are still on a clean slate going into Durban, where we have won before.

Yeah, the fault lies moreso with SA, since it was easier for them to win than India. The excitement completely vanished in the last two overs.

At least for me, there's just a sense of uselessness about a draw. It just feels like a waste of 5 days. As a fan of sport in general, I like results. It's disappointing to see such an amazing contest end because time's up. I would've loved it if SA actually played for a victory in those last two overs. It would've kept either result alive. I wish playing for a draw was looked down on as much as other things are in cricket (like Mankading or biting the ball lol).


I can imagine being in the stands in South Africa and feeling robbed. The crowd was booing SA in the last two overs for a reason. It sucks seeing such a good match end in that way.

 

[scratch978]

Either side didn't deserve to lose such an epic Test. Both teams have played the game in the right spirit and there is healthy respect among the sides. Good to see that after the ugly scenes in the Ashes series.

 

[Aalay]

Mike Is that one of the twenty five questions you ask? Hah classic Dhoni

 

[barmyarmy]

South Africa could have won that but as usual they bottled it. If I was a South African cricket fan i'd be fuming with the way the match ended but if I was Indian cricket fan i'd be jumping with joy shouting ''How the hell did we get away with a draw!?''.

This. I watched from lunch onwards and they blew it.

 

[isrararrafi]

South Africa could have won that but as usual they bottled it. If I was a South African cricket fan i'd be fuming with the way the match ended but if I was Indian cricket fan i'd be jumping with joy shouting ''How the hell did we get away with a draw!?''.

As a south african fan, i would like have a chat with ab and faf first. This is not the first time they try to take impossible runs and get run out. They get too over confident with their running speed. Remember last world cup QF? Ab got run out while batting with faf. And this has happened wayy too many times since them. Then i will congratulate the team as they scored 450 in the 4th innings of a test trying to chase down 450+. Incidentally Smith just said he left the decision to philander and steyn on the field and he plans to support the decision they took.

If i was an indian fan, first and foremost i will congratulate that young team for 4 days of domination pver the world no 1 team. There are too many positives for them from this game. But even they won't be excited about how close this game got. They will ask themselves how the hell it got to here. It was very improbable for south africa to win this at the beginning of this day.