South Africa in India

[Gibbsrules]

Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!We won again!I really thought that we'd struggle against the spinners,but not so,and looking at India's batting line-up,it looked like it was going to be tough,but our bowlers did superbly,except for those last overs.If I am to be critical of SA's performance,then I would say that they should have finnished India off when they were way down with 30/5.Anyway,great batting by Kallis,Prince and Kemp,as well as Smith who has taken the tactic of getting the side off to a flyer.Well done to Yuvraj Singh though.Botha also looks like a promising bowler.There are some slight concerns though.De Villiers is yet to go on and get a big score in ODI's,but with Dippenaar injured,we can only use him.Our death bowling is also a concern and our middle order looks a bit fragile without Gibbs.I also don't think Onthong should have played.Andrew Hall had just got 5 wkts against New Zealand and we go and drop him for Onthong?It doesn't make sense,anyway we won,so I shouldn't be complaining so much.Just 1 more win to equal the record!

 

[Wildwil]

I think Morkel should have played not Ontong!

 

[Gibbsrules]

Hey,did u see the one sign the guy in the crowd was holding?
"Super-sub the umpire" Classic stuff

I think Morkel should have played not Ontong!

Yea,Morkel can really wack the ball!,but I feel sorry for Hall,being left out again.

 

[Wildwil]

Hall is a little bit better in bowling than Morkel. Put playing Ontong please that was 1 bed decision. Ontong has never performed in the international level.

 

[Gibbsrules]

I dont know why he keeps getting given these chances,as you've said,he's done nothing.Botha definetly looks promising though.

 

[Wildwil]

I really like Botha. Ontong is useless in International level. I think they should have let Botha bowl his 10 overs.

 

[SaiSrini]

Superb stuff from the South Africans and credit to them for winning this match in a clinical fashion! But they would be the first ones to admit that they had it tight till the 43rd or 44th over of their batting! This wasnt an easy victory for them and it shows how India are playing at the moment. Both teams are still very much evenly matched with India a little ahead because of their much better spinners and because they are used to their conditions!

Did you know that Harper was instrumental in South Africa winning today? Graeme Smith was OUT plumb on 0 !!!! He was GONE but Harper shockingly didnt see it. Ok, now some SA fans would jump out saying that AB De Villers was also at the wrong end and it balances the result. NO!!!! It doesnt. If you guys had watched the match, it was Graeme Smith who took the game away from us with that hurricane knock of 48 (36 balls). Had he been out for 0 (South Africa 0/1??), the game would have been totally different, I tell you!

I wasnt impressed with Dravid's tactics of persisting with Yuvraj and Tendulkar when they needed to have pressed the attack button! 5 wickets are down and two new batsmen at the crease and Dravid is bowling the lollipops of Tendulkar and the unthreatening Yuvraj! Boucher's wicket was a mere fluke. I would have well left that delivery for a wide! RP Singh was the best bowler again for us and not bringing him in was a mistake that Dravid has to shoulder responsibility for! Dravid says "The medium pacers with the old ball were disappearing to all parts of the ground". I think he was referring to the South African pace bowling in the death today. But the difference was South Africans were guilty of trying too much to put the ball into the blockhole and ended up giving Harbhajan full tosses. They bowled poorly in the death. That doesnt mean RP Singh and Pathan will also have their balls disappear to all parts! It was a rare blip in Dravid's captaincy today and I term it ridiculous!

Its just the first game! Thankfully, India havent given all momentum to the South Africans and still can rightfully feel that they can win back in Bangalore to make it 1-1! It was a tough fight today and the team that had the better conditions won the match! This series should prove so much promising!

Over to Bangalore!

 

[Wildwil]

You Indians are just jealous that we are approuching the record of Aus! You need luck in cricket so. India also had a few tough decisions in the game and also against Sri Lanka

 

[Maxkarter]

I am really happy with that result, althought we could have (should have) bowled them out for less. But that is now besides the point, my main concern was Ontong playing, and then also batting at 3! As it has already been mentioned, Hall and Morkel are both more than capable of playing ahead of him. And its no secret that Ontong hasnt performed. You never know, all the silly decisions that have been made, they might just play Robin Peterson in the next game!!!

 

[Cricketman]

be happy with your win, as india will win the next four on the trot...They will keep it 4-1, so enjoy your victory while it lasts

 

[aussie1st]

be happy with your win, as india will win the next four on the trot...They will keep it 4-1, so enjoy your victory while it lasts

I take thats with your batsmen firing and not being 5/35?
Lets see how the Indian batting goes against the SA pace attack for the 2nd game. I hope you guys have prepared a flat tracker and you guys win the toss and bowl first.
From what I've seen the team batting 2nd of your 2 countries seems to win cause SA have Kemp, and India Dhoni to finish off the inns.

 

[SaiSrini]

You Indians are just jealous that we are approuching the record of Aus! You need luck in cricket so. India also had a few tough decisions in the game and also against Sri Lanka

Hey, just stop it ok!!! We Indians dont care a damn about SA's winning streak. We're just only interested in our own team! Yes, you need luck in cricket, but what i am trying to underline that the victory should not read too much into. India have not lost their momentum and are still the same side that beat Sri Lanka! Its definitely tougher than against Lanka becoz we agree the South Africans are naturally good at fielding and are a good side overall!

Today Graeme Smith's LBW decision had a huge bearing on the game! Had Smith been out for 0, Pathan wouldnt have had this off day and we would have had 4 specialist bowlers instead of the 3 we had today with Pathan having an off day!

be happy with your win, as india will win the next four on the trot...They will keep it 4-1, so enjoy your victory while it lasts

Dont give the impression that we Indians are over confident! After this win, I doubt a 4-1 though its not impossible. I would be very happy if its 3-2 in favor of India!

I take thats with your batsmen firing and not being 5/35?
Lets see how the Indian batting goes against the SA pace attack for the 2nd game. I hope you guys have prepared a flat tracker and you guys win the toss and bowl first.
From what I've seen the team batting 2nd of your 2 countries seems to win cause SA have Kemp, and India Dhoni to finish off the inns.

yes, thats what happens when we play matches in India in winter! The team batting second has advantage! But I think if either team can fight well, the toss shouldnt be too much of an important factor! Chennai is not going to have a lot of dew. Its not used to having much of dew, so would be interesting! A total of 300+ batting first should still do the trick for the side batting first!

Two more chances literally for Sehwag! If he fails in both (a failure would be anything less than a 50!), time to look for Saurav! Because in the midst of the series when we are down, we cant go for a newcomer. We had that luxury in the series against Sri Lanka but not here!

 

[irottev]

I think it was quite obvious that umpiring DID swing that match. That 1 decision in particular.

India needed 1 more batsman to perform. India were always at a disadvantage. They lost the toss so conditions wern't in their favor. The ridiculas supersub rule made it worse when it was 11 vs 12. This has to be the stupidest rule in any game ever. Its just so stupid. They NEED to get rid of it. They then had to sub a bowler for a batsmen who made 1 run lol. So they had to use part timers when bowling.

The bowler using wasn't good from Dravid. Singh 7 overs 18 runs!!!!!! and a wicket. Fantastic figures. Why didn't he bowl out.

Even with everything against India, South Africa batted and bowled well. I think India will play better next time and will win the series.

 

[aussie1st]

INDIA off spinner Harbhajan Singh has been fined 25 per cent of his match fee for violating the players' code of conduct during the five-wicket loss to South Africa.

The bowler was summoned for a hearing by match referee Jeff Crowe after being reported by the umpires for pointing South African batsman Ashwell Prince towards the pavilion after dismissing him.

Crowe said that Harbhajan had pleaded guilty to the offence which carried a maximum penalty of 50 per cent of his match fee.

"He was very apologetic immediately after the event to the umpires and later to the batsman," said Crowe.

http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,8659,17274674-23212,00.html

Another one bites the dust I really feel that the bowlers should be able to do this. Its all part of the celebration of getting the batsmen out, its a pity the ICC have cracked down on this.

 

[SaiSrini]

Oh! Thats a pity! There was nothing offensive that I found in his gesture! This is making it too strict on the bowlers. Bowlers should be allowed to express their emotions on the field. Do you guys know how I expressed my emotion when Smith dragged on the ball to his stumps? If I had been a bowler, I would have been banned for life! I feel sorry for Harbhajan! We Indians play our game with a lot of passion, we are a passionate lot abt cricket!