Indian tour of South Africa, December-January 2010/11

[Adarsh]

India are not going for the win. Trust me. I have followed this Indian team for many many years and they have never gone for a risky win on the last day. Ever.

Chennai 2008, a Sehwag blinder changed that and made the equation a lot easier on the last day. They weren't fighting the run rate on the last day.

 

[SaiSrini]

Pujara should bat up the order tomorrow. He is just being wasted down there, and now that Gambhir is not fit, might as well open with Pujara. There can be no sterner examination for him, and if he is good, he will come out with flying colors. Gambhir shouldnt open tomorrow. He should bat only if necessary (what was said of Kallis, who eventually hurt us with a century)

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India are not going for the win. Trust me. I have followed this Indian team for many many years and they have never gone for a risky win on the last day. Ever.

Chennai 2008, a Sehwag blinder changed that and made the equation a lot easier on the last day. They weren't fighting the run rate on the last day.

It depends on Sehwag. He bats in only one way that he knows. If he clicks, it will send a huge burst of confidence down the bodies of the Indian batsmen. If he fails, they will all retreat into their shells. In short, Sehwag's fortune will decide the day tomorrow. Its not that they cant survive out there tomorrow. Its not a Mumbai 2004 pitch where the batsmen had to hit out or get out.

But yes, the draw is most likely and SA win is second in the list.

 

[Adarsh]

When has Sehwag clicked on the 5th day of a Test match ? The only notable innings I can remember he's really contributed to is the Chennai win. Otherwise he's done nothing in the last innings from what I can remember. I've heard this for the last 10 years - if Sehwag clicks anything can happen. Doubt it will happen.

Would you rather a batsman tomorrow makes 50 off 40 balls or 50 off 150 ? I'm not sure to be honest.

 

[Papa_Smurf]

Pujara should bat up the order tomorrow. He is just being wasted down there, and now that Gambhir is not fit, might as well open with Pujara.

I disagree - won't be a good idea to send him in chasing 300-odd on the last day against styen with the new ball in a morning session. He won't be able to handle such pressure so early in his career and will only add more pressure to the others. Gambhir said he will bat tomorrow, and if he says he can bat, then he should.

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Would you rather a batsman tomorrow makes 50 off 40 balls or 50 off 150 ? I'm not sure to be honest.

50 off 40, definitley. Take the attack right back to the sa bowlers. India should come out tomorrow with a winning mentality - if you want to prove your no.1, then play like no.1

 

[sohum]

Yep, if you think of the Aussie team of the 90s/early 2000s (not saying that we are even close to being as good as them) then they would enter the day with thoughts of winning. In fact, I believe that is the reason they failed in India for a while--because they were aggressive without realizing that pitches (at least back then) had too much bite for spinners to play 4rpo cricket.

Like I said earlier, I'd personally prefer they try and go for it, at least for half a session and if it doesn't work, then it doesn't work. The guys have already achieved more than most of the world thought they would. They've bowled with a lot of heart (for lack of talent) and our senior batsmen (and also Gambhir) have stepped up.

Unleash Sehwag in the first session. If it fails, as expected, then go for the draw. The last thing I want to see is Sehwag going for the draw because he can't sustain his patience for that long.

 

[War]

When has Sehwag clicked on the 5th day of a Test match ? The only notable innings I can remember he's really contributed to is the Chennai win. Otherwise he's done nothing in the last innings from what I can remember. I've heard this for the last 10 years - if Sehwag clicks anything can happen. Doubt it will happen.

Would you rather a batsman tomorrow makes 50 off 40 balls or 50 off 150 ? I'm not sure to be honest.

Adealide 09 also.4th Test: Australia v India at Adelaide, Jan 24-28, 2008 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

But yes generally he is a dud in 4th innings & im expecting Steyn or Morkel to send him back early 2moro. I do have a sneaky feeling that IND might do what ENG did @ Capetown last season 3rd Test: South Africa v England at Cape Town, Jan 3-7, 2010 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo & hold on for a draw.

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Where woudl South Africa be without Kallis. What a player. Too bad he cant bowl because I am sure that he would help them allot.

Going to be a really interesting day tomorrow.

BTW didn't South Africa's chief of selectors (or someone with a similar position) say that there wont be anymore quota? That players will be selected on their abilities.

If someone really said that, then Tsotsobe would not have played this series.

 

[subversive]

Officially they haven't had a quota system since some time but of course unofficially it exists - there are many bowlers better than Tsotsobe in SA.

 

[ferg512]

Tsotsobe hasn't actually bowled that badly though, has he?? I heard Pollock talking about hm being really unlucky..

 

[War]

Tsotsobe hasn't actually bowled that badly though, has he?? I heard Pollock talking about hm being really unlucky..

I'd rather say he has been lucky. The Indian batsmen IMO have made him get away with murder, they haven't taken advantage of him as much as they should have.

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Officially they haven't had a quota system since some time but of course unofficially it exists - there are many bowlers better than Tsotsobe in SA.

Ye the unfortunate truth.

 

[-D-S-B-]

The sooner they get rid of the quota system the better. They lost a talented bowler in Neil Wagner because he said he'd rather play for New Zealand, a country where you're picked on talent not the colour of your skin. And I'm guessing the quota system is a big reason why we're seeing so many South Africans playing overseas nowadays.

 

[angryangy]

But the big question is, do they choose Tsotsobe over Parnell because he's more black or because they think he's the best coloured player?

I don't know about that, but there's always been a bit of politics in selection, going right back to the days when the MCC would refuse to pick a professional to captain England. These days you'll still find heated arguments about picking players from a particular state in India and Australia, while there seems to be a lot of nepotism in Pakistan.

South Africa definitely can't ever pick an all-white team ever again. Whether they have quotas or not, it would be something of a social disaster. That's unfortunate, but it's the burden of history. However, we'd all like to think that there are now enough players to ensure it.

 

[ARay]

Well, a terrible performance and such a waste by the bowlers.
South Africa will win this test, Steyn will rip the batting to shred in this wearing pitch!

 

[StinkyBoHoon]

South Africa definitely can't ever pick an all-white team ever again. Whether they have quotas or not, it would be something of a social disaster. That's unfortunate, but it's the burden of history. However, we'd all like to think that there are now enough players to ensure it.

I would think, and hope, that's a bit of a moot point though. it's highly unlikely they would ever be in the position where an all-white team would be their best XI once they get to a position where quota's are unnecessary. with 90% of the population being non-white it's probably more likely the south african teams of the future will be predominantly black.

apartheid has barely ended in generational terms. Kallis was playing first class cricket in apartheid era south africa. just, but still.

 

[subversive]

South Africa definitely can't ever pick an all-white team ever again. Whether they have quotas or not, it would be something of a social disaster. That's unfortunate, but it's the burden of history. However, we'd all like to think that there are now enough players to ensure it.

Ashwell Prince and Hashim Amla aren't white Dropping Tsotsobe doesn't make them an all-white team...

 

[pcfan123]

This would be a good time for Sehwag to step up this series.