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

[SaiSrini]

Wow, had I watched it live, would have had a lot of fun! Excellent gripping Day 1 of play. Love the wicket. If sides can dish out green tops to India when we tour abroad, why can't we dish out a rank turner? Prove yourself on this pitch just like you ask us to prove ourselves on your pitches. Wickets overseas have been a bowler's haven (difference there is it helps pacers) in the first few days of a test and no one bothers to raise a hue and cry about it?

I feel another 35-40 runs would have made India feel that they have got enough. But still, this 201 total should test SA. Getting Faf was a pretty good boost for us, as he is an excellent player of spin. Hope Ashwin and Jadeja get their tails up tomorrow and keep attacking their batsmen. With Kohli, you can be sure he will go on the offensive. Amla and DeVilliers are key. If both can be had for cheap, this will be a great game.

P.s: Vijay proves yet again what a stunning test batsman he has become. Ali - what do you say now? You still want Vijay to be dropped? I would take Vijay over Kohli/Rahane/Pujara and others, anyday!

 

[Satan666]

^^So happy nice, SA are slightly ahead should finish off India by the third morning!

 

[abhi_jacko]

Why is everyone saying SAF is only slightly ahead ? They are easily in the driver's seat. Skittling out the Indian team for 201 on Day 1 is a major advantage in what looks like it might be a low scoring match. They just need to get a 75-100 run lead and it will be game set match I think

 

[Aalay]

P.s: Vijay proves yet again what a stunning test batsman he has become. Ali - what do you say now? You still want Vijay to be dropped? I would take Vijay over Kohli/Rahane/Pujara and others, anyday!

I ignored it the first time you posted this but because you have brought it up again, I have to highlight it. The first name in the team sheet if we are playing in India is Ashwin. The first name in the team sheet if we are playing overseas, would be Ajinkya Rahane.

 

[stefan]

Oh so a pitch that turns is of bad quality ... a pitch which is green as a garden though, perfect !!

Both are bad imho. A Good wicket for me is one that helps the seamers on the first morning, then settles down and is good for batting on day 2 and 3 and crumbles on day 4 and 5 favoring the spinners and genuine quick bowlers with the uneven bounce.

 

[Markkkkk]

But thanks to every country being scared of what the other team can do we never really see those... The first test between Pakistan and England was kind of an extreme version...

 

[grkrama]

The first name in the team sheet if we are playing overseas, would be Ajinkya Rahane.

I would say vijay slightly edges past rahanae just by being an opener...who can handle newball

A Good wicket for me is one that helps the seamers on the first morning, then settles down and is good for batting on day 2 and 3 and crumbles on day 4 and 5 favoring the spinners and genuine quick bowlers with the uneven bounce.

That's not good wicket that's the 'ideal' wkt which happens rarely it will always be biased to one skill or the other more plus im not really fan of those as they never test batsman enough its like jack of all trades, i dont mind if a game finishes in 3 days as long as its competitive between bat and ball whether its green or dusty.

 

[SaiSrini]

I ignored it the first time you posted this but because you have brought it up again, I have to highlight it. The first name in the team sheet if we are playing in India is Ashwin. The first name in the team sheet if we are playing overseas, would be Ajinkya Rahane.

I beg to disagree. I would put Vijay slightly ahead. As @grkrama said, Vijay being a specialist opener who can handle any conditions is a rare breed for Indian cricket in the current scenario. We had Aakash Chopra during 2003/04 but he had a huge weakness of not being able to make it past 50+ often. I will still take Vijay over Rahane overseas. On Ashwin in India - I agree, but my assessment of Vijay with Kohli/Rahane was purely from a batting standpoint.

 

[PokerAce]

Both are bad imho. A Good wicket for me is one that helps the seamers on the first morning, then settles down and is good for batting on day 2 and 3 and crumbles on day 4 and 5 favoring the spinners and genuine quick bowlers with the uneven bounce.

The problem with 1st day bowling friendly pitches is that it invaribly favors the team batting in the 2nd innings. If 1st is helpful to the bowlers, and the 2nd and 3rd day good for batting, then invaribly the 2nd innings batting is likely to bat on the 2nd and most of 3rd day, and the other team is going to be out of the game. When the other team get back in on day 4 is favoring bowlers again. the side batting first is mostly never going to bat in good conditions against a quality attack.

I am not saying this wicket is great, but I think its help for bowlers has been greatly overstated. India didn't get out because of the pitch but greatly due to inept shot selection. I think the same can be said for SA wickets to fall. Missing the line completely and leaving deliveries, crashing into the pads and the stumps.

Its still a good wicket to bat, if someone applies themselves.

 

[PokerAce]

It seems the siege has been lifted ... SA scoring rate increasing now.

 

[PokerAce]

Sanjay Majarekar pi$$ drunk as usual wants India to take BIG lead. Emphasising on the word BIG, everytime he says it. India should have BIG lead.

How are you suppsed to get a BIG lead, after the opposition is only 145 runs in deficit and two down.

 

[PokerAce]

Too faint an edge for the Umpire to give that.

 

[PokerAce]

Wow I have never seen ABD look as clueless as he did in the Ashwin over. Could have gotten out to 5 deliveries in that over.

 

[zwarrior]

ABD caught out!! But it's a no-ball. Shame.

 

[PokerAce]

Elgar and Amla showed some resistance but I would say the first session was shared. India came back with those two wickets late, and would be happy with 3 wickets in the session, but SA also scored nearly 100 runs.

AB D has led a charmed life, and the post lunch approach would be interesting to watch.