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

[aditya123]

Those were against england and australia ,sides who genereally are suited to the SA tracks.

There is a reason india only has one test win ever in SA.

But we will see come 16 December.

Conveniently forgetting the fact that SA lost tests to India, West Indies and Pakistan during their last series in SA as well. May not have lost the series but they did lose test matches. They have been losing home tests far too often in my opinion.

Since 2006/7, they lost the first test in 2006/7 to India at Joburg, then lost a test to Pakistan at Centurion, if I`m not wrong. In the immediate next series, they even lost to the West Indies at home. Then the losses against Aus and England as well in home tests.
That is`nt an invincible home record by any means.

aditya123 added 2 Minutes and 27 Seconds later...

Perth 08 turned out to be a flatish track though. It wasn't anywhere near as bouncy as AUS thought going into that match.

I don`t buy that argument. Also, how does that explain Tait/Johnson/Lee/Clark being outbowled by RP.Singh/Ishant Sharma/Irfan Pathan and Kumble eventhough you claim it was flattish and India batted first as well. India got bowled out for a low 300ish total and Australia still gave away a first innings lead of 100+ on what you claim a flattish track. We batted first on what should have been the pitch at its freshest,

 

[WubbaLubbaDubDub]

Smith might miss out of the India series and that is a serious blow for South Africa.

 

[Adarsh]

Oh no. I was looking forward to Zak making him his bunny again.

 

[SaiSrini]

If Raina plays the whole ODI series vs New Zealand, then Pujara might get a chance to play in the first test at Centurion in place of Raina. Dhoni has said Raina might be rested for the first test if he plays all ODI's vs NZ (because he feels Raina is mentally fatigued and needs a break from cricket).

Hope Pujara gets his chance. I think he will pass the test if he gets it.

 

[stefan]

Smith might miss out of the India series and that is a serious blow for South Africa.

He is out for three weeks. Might just make the first test, should be fit for the rest.

We have enough cover as far as batting is concerned, his leadership will be missed though.

It means either moving amla to open and bringing in jp or selecting jacquess rudolph,puttick or van zyl. We have lots of depth in the batting would be a much bigger concern if one of steyn or morkel went down.

 

[SciD]

Not worried about Morkel. Steyn would be one who will trouble Indians. That's more because he bowls up to batsman more than any other bowler in International cricket.

In test matches batsman have enough time to play out short pitch stuff so short pitch bowling in test match is hardly a concern for Indians. People seem to be mixing T20 and ODI performance of India with test match batting when our test batting is totally different from other two formats.

Also if I am Saffers selector then I might play O'Reilly just to get Tendulkar out.

 

[sami ullah khan]

India have a lot to prove in this series. There are many who do not think India is worthy of number one test status. Series win in SA will shut those critics up for good.

sami ullah khan added 4 Minutes and 59 Seconds later...

Not worried about Morkel. Steyn would be one who will trouble Indians. That's more because he bowls up to batsman more than any other bowler in International cricket.

In test matches batsman have enough time to play out short pitch stuff so short pitch bowling in test match is hardly a concern for Indians. People seem to be mixing T20 and ODI performance of India with test match batting when our test batting is totally different from other two formats.

Also if I am Saffers selector then I might play O'Reilly just to get Tendulkar out.

Morkel is more dangerous than you might think. He bowls on an awkward length at very good pace (140-150 KPH) and will always get the bounce due to his height. Steyn is more of a swing bowler. I think India need to be wary of both these gentlemen if they expect to do well in SA. I don't know who will the third seamer be for SA. Tsotsobe might fill in but I think Indians would not mind his medium pace.

 

[SciD]

I will say it again. Indian batsman are more vulnerable with swinging ball rather than short pitch stuff. I would be more happy with short stuff as if batsman harden up then they can deal with it.

Don't count Indian bowling as well. Its highly underrated outside India.

People still do not feel India is number one because BCCI arranged some test series which were not there originally and they have been playing in sub continent only. But I dare any side in world to win matches in kind of pitches India has been playing.

 

[AkshayS]

People still do not feel India is number one because BCCI arranged some test series which were not there originally and they have been playing in sub continent only. But I dare any side in world to win matches in kind of pitches India has been playing.

True, if that would be the case, how come Australia lost two test series here, Srilanka lost 4 and South Africa lost here too. England lost a series too IIRC.


Considering Indian bowling, I expect a lot from them and expecially from pacers, they are surely underrated outside India and in India too. Just hope Zak-Sharma-Sreesanth to be fit so that we will have a fully fit attack.

Morkel and Steyn will surely be a threat in SA, but I think Indian batting is strong enough to face them. But still we've got some problems and will start as underdogs. But I don't think that we'll get outplayed.

 

[SaiSrini]

I am confident our bowling will not look as bad as it has been so far. With wickets offering much more help than what subcontinent wickets have to offer, our bowlers will come into their own. If our batsmen show good concentration and play their natural game, we should do well in this series. This is the first of our three chances in the next one year to prove that we deserve to be at the top in tests.

 

[Aoun13]

Like somebody said earlier that this series will prove whether Indian Test team is No.1 or not.
Although Indian batting is very strong and many of them have already played tests in SA but still SA conditions will be tough for their batting. They well be tested by mixture of Short pitch by Morkel and full bowling by Steyn.

For SA Morkel needs to pitch full and wait for the conditions to swing the ball because most of the subcontinental batsmen are poor against seam and swing.

Good luck to Indian team as I'll support them in this series.

 

[SaiSrini]

Even a drawn series would be an achievement for India. It will then defer the test of them being No.1 to the series vs England and Australia next year.

 

[War]

Conveniently forgetting the fact that SA lost tests to India, West Indies and Pakistan during their last series in SA as well. May not have lost the series but they did lose test matches. They have been losing home tests far too often in my opinion.

Since 2006/7, they lost the first test in 2006/7 to India at Joburg, then lost a test to Pakistan at Centurion, if I`m not wrong. In the immediate next series, they even lost to the West Indies at home. Then the losses against Aus and England as well in home tests.
That is`nt an invincible home record by any means.

Or maybe it means in one or two test the opposition just played well in those individual?. Its not like the safffies where ever in serious trouble in any of those series, since they bounced back quite well & dominated & won each series quite comfortably.

aditya123 added 2 Minutes and 27 Seconds later...

I don`t buy that argument. Also, how does that explain Tait/Johnson/Lee/Clark being outbowled by RP.Singh/Ishant Sharma/Irfan Pathan and Kumble eventhough you claim it was flattish and India batted first as well. India got bowled out for a low 300ish total and Australia still gave away a first innings lead of 100+ on what you claim a flattish track. We batted first on what should have been the pitch at its freshest,

Whether you buy it is not really relevant though. Thats what happened.

AUS only played Tait since all the pre-match hype is that Perth was back to its pre 70, 80s, 90s lightning bouncy self & it tunred out to be nothing of the sort. If the cricinfo almanack report made such an assesment:

Wisden - Australia v India 2007-08

Few foresaw this defeat, particularly while the home camp was trumpeting in the lead-up that the pitch had regained its fearsome pace and bounce of former years. It had not, but a very good cricket wicket produced four enthralling days' play.

That extra bounce that would have made Tait & Johnson lethal wasn't present. The pitch was falttish, had a bit of swing with the new-ball. In which India ended up playing & adjsuting to conditions better & faster than AUS, who went into the game expecting something else.

War added 4 Minutes and 43 Seconds later...

India have a lot to prove in this series. There are many who do not think India is worthy of number one test status. Series win in SA will shut those critics up for good.

sami ullah khan added 4 Minutes and 59 Seconds later...



Morkel is more dangerous than you might think. He bowls on an awkward length at very good pace (140-150 KPH) and will always get the bounce due to his height. Steyn is more of a swing bowler. I think India need to be wary of both these gentlemen if they expect to do well in SA. I don't know who will the third seamer be for SA. Tsotsobe might fill in but I think Indians would not mind his medium pace.

These 3 are the front runners:

- Friedel de Wet | Cricket Players and Officials | ESPN Cricinfo

- Craig Alexander | Cricket Players and Officials | ESPN Cricinfo

- Ryan McLaren | Cricket Players and Officials | ESPN Cricinfo

De Wet likely to be prefered option if he proves his fitness to the SA selectors.

War added 3 Minutes and 41 Seconds later...

I will say it again. Indian batsman are more vulnerable with swinging ball rather than short pitch stuff. I would be more happy with short stuff as if batsman harden up then they can deal with it.

I'd say they are vulnerable to both. Outside of Tendy & Laxman (maybe Dravid but i still think he is passed it, NZ bowlers made him look good recently i fear deep down. Since i think he is no longer the "wall" of old) i'd back the SA quicks to own every other memeber of the top 7 in the upcoming fairly consistently.

My prediction is that if SA prepare the right pacer friendly pitches to assist Steyn/Morkel & other quicks they could very well & white wash India.

 

[TruSachFan]

Trust me, if they prepare the right pacer friendly pitches, then the likes of ZAK, Sreesanth, and Ishant will walk all over them. Anyways, I predict India to win this series.

 

[sami ullah khan]

^I think you are overestimating your Fast bowling unit a bit too much here. Only Zaheer khan is well established in the above trio. The other two seamers are still trying to find their feet in test cricket. South Africa have a very strong batting line up. I don't think they will gift away their wickets to any seam attack.