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

[pcfan123]

I'm glad at least everyone can agree that Ishant Sharma is a hack, there has to be someone better. The wickets this series are as good as you will get for fast bowling, he didn't manage to look threatening even once.

 

[War]

I think 1-1 was a fair result there, though finally being able to watch South Africa (stupid student life style of no Sky Sports!) I don't really see why they are so highly rated except for Kallis and Steyn.

Whats wrong with De Villiers, Smith & Morkel?

I'm bias but I would agree. I think we have the most all-rounded side. We have the most depth on the bench, plus all our players have been performing well and their is a great team spirit. I reckon we will beat India when they come over later this year, any ideas when England next tours India?

Would put S Africa depth ahead of us. Especially in the batting.

England really one have Morgan & Hildreth as back-up batsmen on the county cricuit who look real test quality. Plus now with Coly retred & one of them coming in, thats means we just have 1 test standard back-up back currently.

S Africa have Rudolph, Elgar, Dumminy, Ingram, Vandair, Rossouw, S Van Zyl

ENG tour IND at the end of 2011 i believe also.

 

[sohum]

Since when India is all about Sehwag? Sehwag should've gone after it. If India had lost his wicket, it wouldn't have been all over for India. You guys have better players to follow him. To plan your game based on one batsman, when you have bunch good ones is not very bright.

Dude, going for the win versus not going for the win was always about Sehwag. He's the only guy who could score quickly and put pressure on the bowlers while also taking the shine off the ball. We've got strokemakers in Sachin and Laxman but apart from that our batting order is kinda grafty (Dravid, Pujara, Dhoni in Tests).

Yes, they could have been more optimistic at the start. It seems to me that they wanted to play out the new ball before making a go at it, after the ball stopped moving around. Looks like Sehwag got out just as he was trying to do that (didn't he chase a wide one?).

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Yea i hope England can do that. But this is where the strenght of the BCCIs unfair power in the game will be really shown. Since if the ECB does that, it very possible the BCCI could threaten to boycott IND team for the series vs ENG & who blinks 1st will tell us alot.

If anything the ECB has shown in the past that it sticks up for what it thinks is correct, so the onus is on them for sure.

 

[ZoraxDoom]

Lol, Harris bowled 30 overs for 29 runs. Epic.

 

[sohum]

They had not won the Ashes down under in 24 years either, this is an entirely different England side, in both skill and temperament.

Can't wait to see Anderson and Tremlett against the Indian batsmen.

Just hope they stay healthy. Last time they got Jones, Flintoff and Hoggard (or was it Sidebottom?) going in 05 and then all those guys just burnt out.

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I'm glad at least everyone can agree that Ishant Sharma is a hack, there has to be someone better. The wickets this series are as good as you will get for fast bowling, he didn't manage to look threatening even once.

Yeah he's been pretty poor. Sad, too. Just going down in the list of bowlers with potential that ultimately ended up sucking. Irfan, Munaf, RP and now Sharma (I'm sure there were a few more in between). Munaf has managed to crawl back slowly but I laugh now when I think of how he was being touted as the fastest bowler in India.

 

[subversive]

I wonder if India will ever get a 150 KPH+ bowler

 

[Adarsh]

I wonder if India will ever get a 150 KPH+ bowler

Two ways that could happen. We'll have to wait till India and Pakistan decide to merge together again. Or wait till India is an economic powerhouse so that Aussies and South Africans migrate and become Indian citizens. I think the latter's the likelier option.

 

[TruSachFan]

So close yet so tweaking far away

 

[ZoraxDoom]

Two ways that could happen. We'll have to wait till India and Pakistan decide to merge together again. Or wait till India is an economic powerhouse so that Aussies and South Africans migrate and become Indian citizens. I think the latter's the likelier option.

There is also the option of the BCCI creating better pitches and less hectic schedules (domestic and international) to encourage fast bowling, India coaches nurturing pace bowling talent, putting them on the right diets and fintess routines, letting them gain exposure in other nations with A Team tours or sending them to play club and domestic cricket, and not tossing them into Test and ODI level until they're good enough...

But yea, that's far more unlikely than the other two options

 

[6ry4nj]

I'm glad at least everyone can agree that Ishant Sharma is a hack, there has to be someone better. The wickets this series are as good as you will get for fast bowling, he didn't manage to look threatening even once.

I can't believe that Ishant Sharma isn't a favourite with the fans, but I guess the figures suggest he should stick to the one-day format.

As for Sreesanth, I like him a lot, so I'm not taking the p*** when I say he would really benefit from seeing one or more good psychotherapists. After that, who knows, he might be international standard.

 

[subversive]

There is also the option of the BCCI creating better pitches and less hectic schedules (domestic and international) to encourage fast bowling, India coaches nurturing pace bowling talent, putting them on the right diets and fintess routines, letting them gain exposure in other nations with A Team tours or sending them to play club and domestic cricket, and not tossing them into Test and ODI level until they're good enough...

But yea, that's far more unlikely than the other two options

I think the lack of real fast bowlers in Indian history (and future) is more to do with the mentality of coaches at the lower levels.

I've attended a few cricket academies in India and all they focus on is line and length at medium pace, they don't try to get the bowler to increase their speed or bowl as fast as possible.

The fitness and diet factor is a big one too, you aren't going to bowl 145+ if you look like Ashish Nehra

 

[AbhishekS]

11 off 40 balls from Sehwag? I didnt expect that from him.

Why not. It was already decided that we had to go for a draw and that's what all the players, including Sehwag did. The main idea was to hang around, not caring much about the RR. He stuck at the crease for almost an hour.

 

[SaiSrini]

I can't believe that Ishant Sharma isn't a favourite with the fans, but I guess the figures suggest he should stick to the one-day format.

As for Sreesanth, I like him a lot, so I'm not taking the p*** when I say he would really benefit from seeing one or more good psychotherapists. After that, who knows, he might be international standard.

Ishan in ODI's. Good lord! The only place where he can save face in tests. He has become completely rubbish even in tests now. He gets spanked so often in T20's and ODI's. He has to do something out of cricket right now to get back to bowling like how he used to before.

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I wonder if India will ever get a 150 KPH+ bowler

Consistently 140-142 with some swing skills (especially reverse swing on Indian wickets) and good control would be enough. We dont need 150+. Even the world rarely makes those (e.g. Akthar, Lee).

We have to find fast bowlers who have a good head. Zaheer, Srinath, Kapil are all bowlers who have a good head and know how to take their careers forward. Zaheer did so well to go to county cricket and bowl a lot which helped him immensely. Heavy focus on batting is not going to help us in anyway.

 

[pcfan123]

I can't believe that Ishant Sharma isn't a favourite with the fans, but I guess the figures suggest he should stick to the one-day format.

As for Sreesanth, I like him a lot, so I'm not taking the p*** when I say he would really benefit from seeing one or more good psychotherapists. After that, who knows, he might be international standard.

Yea his bowling was great to watch, easily the best fast bowling talent in India after Khan. That ball to Kallis deffo one of the top deliveries of this winter season.

 

[shravi]

Why not. It was already decided that we had to go for a draw and that's what all the players, including Sehwag did. The main idea was to hang around, not caring much about the RR. He stuck at the crease for almost an hour.

A whole hour!?!?!? Top class.