India tour of South Africa

[Gaurav_7]

I dont see Rahane being so special of a batsman

Your personal views. But anyone who has seen his centuries against England and Australia in tough conditions won't say that.

 

[aditya123]

Your personal views. But anyone who has seen his centuries against England and Australia in tough conditions won't say that.

Several such innings in tough conditions and not just those two. Right through the series in Australia and England he was the most comfortable batsman and before that the two games in SA (against an in-form Steyn/Morkel/Kallis) and that maiden hundred at Wellington as well (against Boult/Wagner/Southee). In the home season he played superbly on a green seamer at Kolkata against NZ and his partnership with Pujara bailed us out in that test. That was followed by a fighting 188 against NZ again at Indore. Against SA, he scored those twin hundreds at Delhi where noone else looked comfortable. He did not play a major part in the series against England after an injury. Also played vital innings against Australia in two low-scoring games at B'lore and Dharamsala against a top attack. Even more recently, that hundred in SL came with India under early pressure (100/3 in the first innings). Previously, he was the only one to hold fort in that defeat at Galle in the second innings. Also scored a vital second innings hundred on a green seamer at the SSC. Even those knocks in the WI came under some pressure. There were times when we lost early wickets in the Caribbean as well and the pitches they dished out had generous amount of grass.

I don`t understand how that body of work is not good enough to get you a place in a test lineup struggling for stability! Its not like we have Sobers, Gavaskar, Bradman and Dravid in the playing XI. Even Kohli or Pujara, who have the weight of runs behind them, do not have such an impressive record in challenging conditions. Faf's surprise at his omission in the press conference after the last game summed it up aptly.

 

[aditya123]

2nd inns gonna be interesting for both sides as it appears this pitch is holding up.

I’ll say India are just ahead though. SA pacers will have to extract something early in the morning.[DOUBLEPOST=1515951729][/DOUBLEPOST]

Yeah and this is my thing I dont see Rahane being so special of a batsman, a great prospect as captain however.

India are way behind in this test match. It will take us two sessions of exceptional batting to get to parity here and we do not have the batting to do so. Remember, one lower order batsman that did well is`nt even playing in this test. I don`t see us getting more than 250 tomorrow. From then on, I do not see SA collapsing the way they did at Cape Town once again. Look at the manner in which wickets fell in the first innings. Run-outs, a drag on and a few soft dismissals. I don't see us bowling SA out in the second innings, more so if we manage to bat out two more sessions. Its 70-30 in SA's favor. What we can hope for is to get close to 280-odd and with the slow pace of scoring in this test hope to bat out for a draw to keep the series alive going into Jo'burg.

 

[namin96]

Its not the jargon but the decisions he makes in the garb of aggression that is the problem. Show me a more aggressive innings than Rahane's hundred at Lords and MCG against top quality pace attack. He has the best attacking game against pace bowling after Kohli. More recently, the way he took on Cummins at Dharamshala in that run chase was also pure class. Yet, he is considered a defensive option.

This is what makes some captains better than others. Some captains look beyond numbers when they build a team. Do you think Dravid or Laxman would've become the players that they were if Ganguly dropped them for Yuvraj Singh after a bad series? Laxman might have averaged in the 40s only because he played a lot of innings coming lower down (like Rahane) and there were several innings against lower ranked attacks (while setting up declarations and so on) which he did not capitalize . However, come the tough situations, he would always click and that is why his place was seldom under threat. You have to back your established batsmen and lock down a stable test XI if you want to be a consistent side across conditions.

He will realize going forward that you can't drop Rahane. He still needs to learn a few of these things and hopefully he learns.

 

[namin96]

India are way behind in this test match. It will take us two sessions of exceptional batting to get to parity here and we do not have the batting to do so. Remember, one lower order batsman that did well is`nt even playing in this test. I don`t see us getting more than 250 tomorrow. From then on, I do not see SA collapsing the way they did at Cape Town once again. Look at the manner in which wickets fell in the first innings. Run-outs, a drag on and a few soft dismissals. I don't see us bowling SA out in the second innings, more so if we manage to bat out two more sessions. Its 70-30 in SA's favor. What we can hope for is to get close to 280-odd and with the slow pace of scoring in this test hope to bat out for a draw to keep the series alive going into Jo'burg.

Everything depends on how long Kohli lasts at the crease. They're going to come hard at him and if he can show the same patience he did today which was really impressive then anything can be possible. I was really impressed with the way he left deliveries today and he hasn't scored an actual boundary since the 29th over. If we can get really close to their total, then it will be interesting.

 

[namin96]

Sad to see Pujara literally waste his wicket today. There were a lot of runs there for him to take, but he gave it all up first ball with a very silly run-out. Wonder why a classical batsman like him had to take such a suicidal run the very first ball he faces. Wait, let me guess? Could it be because a certain 'captain' recently came out in the press conference and talked about how you need to show intent and all when batting out there?

He didn't say to just keep running when there's a miscommunication with your partner. I think that was more Pujara's fault, him and Vijay need to have better communication. That's not what Kohli meant by intent, and he showed what he meant by intent today. He put bad balls away and also some good ones to put pressure back on the bowlers.

 

[asprin]

So Kohli scores almost 50% of the team's total. With 5 down and not much on the board, I don't feel we will even get close to 335. There's only so much that Kohli can do.

 

[LiveLoveABD]

The batsmanship in this test match has been quite poor. Had SA not decided to commit harakiri at the end of Day 1, this test match would have looked very different to what it is now. I had predicted after the first innings that India will get 500 but I think I'll be proven wrong. Kohli has made it count on a track that suits him but credit to him for doing it in the situation he has. People need to recognise and differentiate his critics of batting and captaincy/leadership. He's one of the best batters in the world and also the most stupid captain.

35 odd test appearances and if you've never played the same side.. that says a lot!

 

[Villain]

When you are Rohit Sharma playing under the managment led by Ravi Shastri, there is no such thing as “limited opportunities”.

Can't deny that.

Might be an unpopular opinion:
I'd say Kohli should quit captaincy as it only burdens him with more pressure, he already has more than enough pressure to perform every single time. It'll only help his game and focus on what he does the best which is batting. Guy seriously has so much to deal with, unnecessary politics and media pressure included.

 

[zwarrior]

Might be an unpopular opinion:
I'd say Kohli should quit captaincy

More than unpopular, I would say this is the popular opinion right now.

 

[Gaurav_7]

Guy seriously has so much to deal with, unnecessary politics and media pressure included.

Wish people thought about MSD like this...

 

[LiveLoveABD]

Can't deny that.

Might be an unpopular opinion:
I'd say Kohli should quit captaincy as it only burdens him with more pressure, he already has more than enough pressure to perform every single time. It'll only help his game and focus on what he does the best which is batting. Guy seriously has so much to deal with, unnecessary politics and media pressure included.

If he had just been a captain and not a selector as well as the coach selector things would have been simple.

We can crib all we like, he will remain captain/coach/selector in all formats till the 2019 WC at least.

As far as all the 'deal with politics and media pressure' is concerned, he's created the storm himself so he has to weather it. I have no sympathy for him.

 

[abhi_jacko]

On what basis should Kohli quit test captaincy? Because he lost 1 match overseas and made some poor team selections and has preferred Rohit over Rahane?

I hope you guys are being funny. Because this makes no sense whatsoever. He is just coming off a killer run with his test team at home and he himself was in excellent form. We have historically struggled overseas and he is not the first captain to make ridiculous selection/tactical decisions when on an overseas tour. You only need to look as far as our beloved MSD I understand the frustration of Rahane not being played. I was upset as well as a fan and well wisher of Team India, but the suggestions being made here sound like India just got knocked out of the first round of world cup after losing to Canada and USA

 

[Bigby Wolf]

Can't deny that.

Might be an unpopular opinion:
I'd say Kohli should quit captaincy as it only burdens him with more pressure, he already has more than enough pressure to perform every single time. It'll only help his game and focus on what he does the best which is batting. Guy seriously has so much to deal with, unnecessary politics and media pressure included.

Well who is the other candidate to captain then? Rahane? The vice captain who has been left out of the series by the current captain suggesting that no one wanted him before the start of the series.
Barring Kohli none of the other players place fixed in the current lineup so in any foreseeable future there is hardly any one who can replace Kohli if even India loses all the overseas test matches in the coming year or so.

 

[zwarrior]

Well deserved century. Need to make this a big one to stay alive !