Incredible test match going on.
India need 208 to win first test of the series. Can they do it?
India need 208 to win first test of the series. Can they do it?
Cricket : India vs South Africa 2018
- Thread starter Arvind
- Start date
Plus they're one bowler short . Its a bloody shame , the way our batsmen play fast bowlers on pitches suited for such bowling .
Looks like a nasty wicket. I thought India would have a chance because of Steyn missing - sadly i was wrong. 7 down now - i think game over......
I think the game was loaded against them , when they conceded a lead of 80 odd runs to SA in the first innings .
I think the lead would have been greater if it hadnt been for Pandya. I reckon he will be the biggest thing in cricket in a couple of years. Saw him last year in the final against Pakistan. Was awesome until he was run out.
It still says a lot about the extreme discomfiture of our frontline batsmen against quality seam bowling on pitches which favours such bowling . This is just the beginning . There are 2 tests to go in this series and then the critical ones against England & Australia during the course of the year . If they don't come up with answers soon , the signs are ominous.
I agree with you. The talent is clearly their however the preparation is obviously poor. Too much IPL and 1 day cricket I reckon. To be honest I would be more concerned if they didn’t have the talent. Look at the positives - the keeper took 10 catches and new the seamer looked good. Get a couple weeks solid in the net with the batters and I can see a real unit developing.
It Must be honeymoon activity, that is sapping the energy and strength of Virat Kohli
.Its a well known fact, most athletes refrain from sex before major competitions to keep up the Testosterone levels in the body which help in Muscle strength,growth and repair.
Unfortunately , the reasons that you are citing has been around since more than two decades . Its often been argued that we need specialists for tests and for ODI's/ T-20's . However ,nothing much has come out of it . Modern day test series being so crammed to fit in to accommodate other events in a calendar year - most test series are over before You know it .
Look at England's performance in the recent Ashes. It certainly doesn't give us a true measure of the talent in this unit . Yet the scoreline reads 4-0.
That's how the test series against SA and later in the year against England and Australia will unfold . The schedule is punishing ,short and over before You get into the groove . These are the challenges of modern day test cricket .
P.S - in the event we lost by almost a similar margin as the lead we conceded in the first innings .
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I agree 100 percent that the prep is poor. When Aussies come to India they come two weeks or more before games. We just showed up and even cancelled the one practice game we had.
We alsondid not play our best overseas player, Rahane. Yes he is out of form (all of 4 matches thatbwe won btw), but when did that stop us from playing rohit sharma, raina even yuvraj singh??? When Kohli made Indian captain, what was his test average?????
Rahane is not Mumbai Indians captain and hence Rohit was chosen. Poor Rahane has always got the worst treatment from Dhoni and Kohli and its time his fans pur some commercial pressure on BCCI as thats the only language those *censored*os understand.
And Kohlis BS abt form is plain to see. Recently Rahane was the highest run getter in a one day series for India, he was dropped in teh following series. Its all commercial interests driving selection. Its good India lost. They should, without preparation and with corruption.
Rahane average out of India 53.44, sharma 25.
Rahane has centuries at the Basin Reserve, Wellington; Lord’s, London; MCG, Melbourne; P Sara and SSC, Colombo; and Sabina Park, Kingston.
Rohit has ZERO.
But Rohit is backed by Ambanis. Rahane by his talent alone.
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The team doesn't prep properly (series vs Sri Lanka instead of serious practice in SA conditions), T20 is ruining technique and cricketers are busy being stars and making money. And then, pathetic team selection.
For the first time in a very long time, I was satisfied with the bowling unit that was selected (India needs to learn that you hardly ever need more than 1 spinner in a team, and in certain conditions, even a part time spinner is enough). However the batting lineup was poor. Rahane should not have been dropped, and certainly not for the idiot Rohit Sharma. Sharma has no business playing Test cricket, and they need to stop shunting Rahane across several different batting positions in Tests and ODI just to accommodate Rohit. I'd also like to see Saha dropped, KL Rahul knows how to keep wickets, instead they could use the extra batting slot.
From now on though, I hope India gets into the habit of using 3 fast bowlers: Shami, Bumrah and one more (Yadav, Bhuvneshwar, Sran), 1 all rounder (Pandya), and only 1 spinner outside of very spin friendly pitches (I actually prefer Jadeja over Ashwin since he limits runs, fields very well, and can occasionally bat too).
For the first time in a very long time, I was satisfied with the bowling unit that was selected (India needs to learn that you hardly ever need more than 1 spinner in a team, and in certain conditions, even a part time spinner is enough). However the batting lineup was poor. Rahane should not have been dropped, and certainly not for the idiot Rohit Sharma. Sharma has no business playing Test cricket, and they need to stop shunting Rahane across several different batting positions in Tests and ODI just to accommodate Rohit. I'd also like to see Saha dropped, KL Rahul knows how to keep wickets, instead they could use the extra batting slot.
From now on though, I hope India gets into the habit of using 3 fast bowlers: Shami, Bumrah and one more (Yadav, Bhuvneshwar, Sran), 1 all rounder (Pandya), and only 1 spinner outside of very spin friendly pitches (I actually prefer Jadeja over Ashwin since he limits runs, fields very well, and can occasionally bat too).
Another big issue - some players DO NOT want to change their style for once in a while overseas tournament. Their primary target is still lucrative IPL and home series where they make the most. Look at Rahane, he adapt well for bouncy swinging tracks but then he couldn't perform well at home. Result, left out of first test as well based on home performance.
Agree. Lets be bottom line. 1 good IPL and you are set for life financially. BCCI should realise 1 good season in the IPL is worth 20 years of test cricket and adjust the rewards accordingly. India have at the moment of talent and must back that now with adequate administration. I have to agree with @Notsuperstitious not picking Rahane was a head scratcher.
Absolutely.
Rahane was top scorer in west indian one day series, dropped from the next one day series
Scores 4 consecutive 50s against the aussies, gets dropped from the T20s immediately.
Has splendid overseas record (average 53.44) but gets dropped for sharma who averages 25 overseas.
All this in the last 4 months alone.
Assholes.
Lets see if they have the balls to do the right thing and pick him next game.