South Africa's tour of India - October/December 2015

[LiveLoveABD]

Yea, but he is under bunny (phew typos...), according to dear captain MSD.

Dhoni is not the Test captain. India has a fascination for blaming MSD for the test losses abroad, the unnecessary selection of Raina, Jadeja and Ashwin, winning everything due to sheer luck, traffic in Mumbai, earthquakes in Nepal and lately global warming.

Sit back and once try to reflect that the game you love and are so passionate about, the country you love has had it's best cricketing moments under him. He's not the same captain, he's probably not even the same batsman but he's an Indian you and I should be proud of. If you asked the guy to take a bullet for the team, he would do it and he wouldn't make a hoopla about it.

Perhaps the selection you're talking about may have to be with the selection panel, it's relations with Binny and the fact that the director and selector were former team mates and friends.

 

[stefan]

If everyone is fit I expect SA to field this team.

1.Elgar
2.Van Zyl
3.Faf
4.Amla
5.Ab
6.JP
7.Vilas (would rather have QDK but selectors felt otherwise)
8.Philander
9.Harmer
10.Steyn
11.Morkel

 

[Markkkkk]

Vilas deserves the chance after how well he has done in the domestic competition while de Kock isnt playing to well (bar 1 or 2 innings). This thread is turning into the rage at Stuart Binny and call AB a god thread which is getting very annoying.

My team for tests if I could choose the team

Puttick
Cook
Faf
Amla
AB
JP
Vilas/ de Kock
Steyn
Paterson
Morkel
Tahir

Bring Philander, Rabada, Harmer and Elgar/Van Zyl along for cover.

 

[PokerAce]

I was wondering what the line up for India will be going into the first test. Do India really need to go into 2 seamers here in India. I remember the series in SL, when India played 2 seamers, every game, but the second seamer hardly bowled 10 overs in the day?

I think the ideal lineup for the test will be -

Dhawan
Vijay
Pujara
Kohli
Rahane
Jadeja
Saha
Ashwin
Mishra
Umesh

Thats 10 players. Personally, I don't see pace doing anything to hurt SA. Thus if India really need another bowler, its better to play another spinner, instead of another seamer. However I think three spinners is going to be enough to take the SA wickets required to win and thus I would not mind India playing the extra batsman. We all know Virat's preference for Rohit, and thus, Rohit is likely to be the extra batsman. I think India should go in with the extra batsman, even if its Rohit.

 

[Samuels]

Vilas deserves the chance after how well he has done in the domestic competition while de Kock isnt playing to well (bar 1 or 2 innings). This thread is turning into the rage at Stuart Binny and call AB a god thread which is getting very annoying.

My team for tests if I could choose the team

Puttick
Cook
Faf
Amla
AB
JP
Vilas/ de Kock
Steyn
Paterson
Morkel
Tahir

Bring Philander, Rabada, Harmer and Elgar/Van Zyl along for cover.

Would you even consider Philander after that controversy? Abbott to me is better on form atm. Paterson, you be Dane Paterson. I believe he has to be real good to break into the side. Any whereabouts of Hardus Viljoen? I saw him bowl a couple of times and thought he would be the strike bowler for South Africa in future.

 

[Samuels]

Dhawan
Vijay
Pujara
Kohli
Rahane
Jadeja
Saha
Ashwin
Mishra
Umesh

This is where you guys are missing someone like Sourav Ganguly who could chip in with few overs and he was no bunny with the new ball. I remember he could really get the ball jag back into the righties. Sachin too, his ability to bowl seam up, though dollies but accurate and also be able to bowl spin used to give that slight option to India to try and go with three spinners and a seamer when they had a 7-4 strategy. Now, even with two 'allrounders' in the side in Jadeja and Ashwin, you feel circumspect. Batting allrounders even in test cricket are pretty handy to have after all. Talking about batting allrounders, any reason why Rohit Sharma is bowling for you? IIRC, he has two hattricks to his name in IPL which is no fluke and he was a pretty decent bowler in his initial years in international cricket.

 

[Markkkkk]

Would you even consider Philander after that controversy? Abbott to me is better on form atm. Paterson, you be Dane Paterson. I believe he has to be real good to break into the side. Any whereabouts of Hardus Viljoen? I saw him bowl a couple of times and thought he would be the strike bowler for South Africa in future.

Yea I rate Abbott ahead of Philander but you cant drop someone with his record (unfortunately) but you could easily bring Abbott in and if I thought about it he would of been there ahead of him. Yea Dane Paterson, Kagiso Rabada and Hardus Viljoen all could of toured but Rabada made it as he has the most potential and colour but Paterson and Viljoen are probably better then him ATM and I'd rather not see another young player get exposed early and never feature (Ingram, Parnell). You could arguably say Viljoen deserves the call up more as he got 39 wickets and he played two games less then Paterson(42) and one less then Rabada (39) but I really like Paterson and hence would put him in.

 

[Samuels]

I first watched Rabada in the U-19 World Cup. I am glad that South Africa has fast tracked him and de Kock unlike most teams. I am quite unsure about his capabilities as a Test bowler though. I have always thought Parnell being not upto the mark so his exclusion does not surprise me at all. I thought Ingram was trying for England. Quite surprised by your selection of Puttick btw. He is an immensely talented batsman but is now 34. You can give examples of Chris Rogers, Mussey or Misbah but still. Your thoughts on Stephen Cook?

 

[Markkkkk]

I first watched Rabada in the U-19 World Cup. I am glad that South Africa has fast tracked him and de Kock unlike most teams. I am quite unsure about his capabilities as a Test bowler though. I have always thought Parnell being not upto the mark so his exclusion does not surprise me at all. I thought Ingram was trying for England. Quite surprised by your selection of Puttick btw. He is an immensely talented batsman but is now 34. You can give examples of Chris Rogers, Mussey or Misbah but still. Your thoughts on Stephen Cook?

Yea well they both should have been opening for a number of years (Since Peterson and Smith retired). Puttick averages over 40 and the majority of that has been for the Cobras and not for his province (Unlike many other batsmen with high averages) but now might be too late for him to start he was mainly there because he should of been opening for years now. Cook is the exact same, being scoring so many runs but he lost his spot to Van Zyl who isnt even an opener. There is nothing wrong with fast tracking players just it seems to not work out more often then not. Parnell has been utter crap ever since he made his SA debut, kind of brought back every now and then because of the you-know-what... Puttick realistically wouldnt make his debut now so he would swap with Elgar or Van Zyl but thats more about a 'what should of happened' selection...

 

[Samuels]

Yea well they both should have been opening for a number of years (Since Peterson and Smith retired). Puttick averages over 40 and the majority of that has been for the Cobras and not for his province (Unlike many other batsmen with high averages) but now might be too late for him to start he was mainly there because he should of been opening for years now. Cook is the exact same, being scoring so many runs but he lost his spot to Van Zyl who isnt even an opener. There is nothing wrong with fast tracking players just it seems to not work out more often then not. Parnell has been utter crap ever since he made his SA debut, kind of brought back every now and then because of the you-know-what... Puttick realistically wouldnt make his debut now so he would swap with Elgar or Van Zyl but thats more about a 'what should of happened' selection...

Neither of Elgar and van Zyl are openers, are they? Rilee Rossouw for a thought?

 

[stefan]

Vilas deserves the chance after how well he has done in the domestic competition while de Kock isnt playing to well (bar 1 or 2 innings). This thread is turning into the rage at Stuart Binny and call AB a god thread which is getting very annoying.

My team for tests if I could choose the team

Puttick
Cook
Faf
Amla
AB
JP
Vilas/ de Kock
Steyn
Paterson
Morkel
Tahir

Bring Philander, Rabada, Harmer and Elgar/Van Zyl along for cover.

I think we saw when SA a toured india with both of them who is the better player. I rather back the talent that is QDK the same way the talent of ab&kallis were backed even when they had the slight dip in form. Vilas is decent but nothing more.

Neither of Elgar and van Zyl are openers, are they? Rilee Rossouw for a thought?

Elgar is an opener in first class cricket. Has been doing it for years. rossouw has never opened as far as I recall, always nr 3 like van zyl.

 

[Markkkkk]

Neither of Elgar and van Zyl are openers, are they? Rilee Rossouw for a thought?

van Zyl was a makeshift opener for the Cobras last season and Elgar recently converted. Lets not take another middle order batsmen and throw him at the new ball

I think we saw when SA a toured india with both of them who is the better player. I rather back the talent that is QDK the same way the talent of ab&kallis were backed even when they had the slight dip in form. Vilas is decent but nothing more.




Elgar is an opener in first class cricket. Has been doing it for years. rossouw has never opened as far as I recall, always nr 3 like van zyl.

Yes but there is nothing wrong with giving him a chance. We pick the best team and with the talent we have we cant have a out of form player in the side especially when he is unproven in tests (Just to let you know, de Kock is my favourite player so I'm not being biased against him). Also de Kock's problem is he is too aggressive so I dont think slotting him in at 6/7 is good as he will through his wicket away more then once. Im sure Elgar was converted aswell? Always thought he was a middle order but forced to open...

Edit: The SA A tour had Vilas and de Kock score similar amount of runs (de Kock scored a century compared to Vilas' 70 odd).

 

[stefan]

van Zyl was a makeshift opener for the Cobras last season and Elgar recently converted. Lets not take another middle order batsmen and throw him at the new ball



Yes but there is nothing wrong with giving him a chance. We pick the best team and with the talent we have we cant have a out of form player in the side especially when he is unproven in tests (Just to let you know, de Kock is my favourite player so I'm not being biased against him). Also de Kock's problem is he is too aggressive so I dont think slotting him in at 6/7 is good as he will through his wicket away more then once. Im sure Elgar was converted aswell? Always thought he was a middle order but forced to open...

Edit: The SA A tour had Vilas and de Kock score similar amount of runs (de Kock scored a century compared to Vilas' 70 odd).

Elgar has always opened in first class cricket but batted 5 in limited overs.

 

[Markkkkk]

Elgar has always opened in first class cricket but batted 5 in limited overs.

Ahh okay, thought he batted in the middle order because of his debut in tests...

 

[PokerAce]

This is where you guys are missing someone like Sourav Ganguly who could chip in with few overs and he was no bunny with the new ball. I remember he could really get the ball jag back into the righties. Sachin too, his ability to bowl seam up, though dollies but accurate and also be able to bowl spin used to give that slight option to India to try and go with three spinners and a seamer when they had a 7-4 strategy. Now, even with two 'allrounders' in the side in Jadeja and Ashwin, you feel circumspect. Batting allrounders even in test cricket are pretty handy to have after all. Talking about batting allrounders, any reason why Rohit Sharma is bowling for you? IIRC, he has two hattricks to his name in IPL which is no fluke and he was a pretty decent bowler in his initial years in international cricket.

I think you mean why Rohit is not bowling? Well he has never bowled to be honest and has always been a part-time bowler at best. Yes he does have an IPL hat-trick (not two), but its just one of those freaky things. If he bowled in the tests he is more likely to be hit for 15 consecutive sixes than pick up a wicket let alone a hattrick.

Also you are right, about Ganguly. I remember there were tests when India had Kumble and Harbhajan and then packed the side with batsmen and Zaheer used to be the only seam bowler, and Ganguly used to chip in with those few early seam overs from the other end.

I think Jadeja in India on a spinning deck can be a handful, and Mishra and Ashwin have really upped their game. If SA are to lose 20 wickets then those are three bowlers who are going to do it. So picking any more or anyone else apart from the one seamer is pointless. I would prefer India pick another batsman as Saha is not much use lower down the order.