Re: South Africa v India, 3rd Test, Cape Town, 2-6 Jan, 2011

by SG Thu 06 Jan 2011, 15:01

Not so easy to bowl out a team where the batsmen are stonewalling.

So why should India go for this impossible task? Just to give SA more chances to bowl them out?

by SG Thu 06 Jan 2011, 15:03

vilkrang wrote:I can't watch this crap anymore. Wake me up when the proper cricket starts.

Proper cricket starts tomorrow. 1st test between Pak and NZ. Game for it?

by SG Thu 06 Jan 2011, 15:22

Last throw of dice from Smith, new ball taken.

by SG Thu 06 Jan 2011, 15:30

Thats it.

So last 3 test series between Ind and SA have all ended up 1-1.

by doremi Thu 06 Jan 2011, 15:57

The chase depended squarely on Sehwag. Once he went the way of the crab, it would have been suicidal to go for the win. And the others were determined to go out even. As they deserved to.

by spangler Thu 06 Jan 2011, 16:30

Fair result overall I think, nice to GG getting some tough runs, surprised me a bit.

Harris is utter w*nk

by SG Thu 06 Jan 2011, 17:10

JGK wrote:
Last 10 ovs 11/0 RR 1.10

Maybe it's a good thing there aren't 2 more Tests!

Still was far better than 5-test Ashes.

by Batman Thu 06 Jan 2011, 17:27

Not an unexpected result. Among all pessimist posts among Indians, did stick my neck out and say we wouldn't lose. A fair result given the intensity both sides played with. In the end if it had not been for Kallis, the result would have been so much different. Well done that man.

by Gary 111 Thu 06 Jan 2011, 19:34

Hmm, surprising India batted so slowly. Even Sehwag. Very conservative going at 2 an over, by scoring at even 3 an over they could have ensured more fielders in defensive positions and given them the option of having a dart at it if they got to the last session with 8 wickets intact.

I'm going to stick my neck out and say England are going to beat India this summer. They will need stellar performances from Zak and Sehwag if they want to repeat their success last time, their batting is slow and old and Harbhajan is mediocre.

by Guest Thu 06 Jan 2011, 19:48

Gary 111 wrote:Hmm, surprising India batted so slowly. Even Sehwag. Very conservative going at 2 an over, by scoring at even 3 an over they could have ensured more fielders in defensive positions and given them the option of having a dart at it if they got to the last session with 8 wickets intact.

I'm going to stick my neck out and say England are going to beat India this summer. They will need stellar performances from Zak and Sehwag if they want to repeat their success last time, their batting is slow and old and Harbhajan is mediocre.

After 2005 I'm just going to enjoy any success England get and not look at it as "a platform to greater things".

It's so easy to become hyped about a series result and talk of being the best team in the world etc. but it usually just ends in tears, so enjoy the moment.

Having said that, this England team do seem more mature than in 2005 and perhaps are more likely to go on to better things. I probably said the same thing back then though, so fark it. 4-0 India.

In all seriousness I think a drawn series is quite likely, hopefully this time if India go 1 up we won't prepare flat decks again.

by Gary 111 Thu 06 Jan 2011, 20:19

What's the point of having a good team if you can't make ridiculously positive predictions?

Plus, seeing as Alistair Cook now has as many Test runs as Tendulkar had at the same age, plus Tendulkar started 5 years younger it is clear that Cook's the better bat and will surely break all Tendy's records soon.

by Zat Thu 06 Jan 2011, 20:47

Was drunk, didn't watch, did India softcock it out and not even have a go, or were the Jaapanese bowlers up to the task?

by doremi Thu 06 Jan 2011, 21:41

Gary 111 wrote:Hmm, surprising India batted so slowly. Even Sehwag. Very conservative going at 2 an over, by scoring at even 3 an over they could have ensured more fielders in defensive positions and given them the option of having a dart at it if they got to the last session with 8 wickets intact.

I'm going to stick my neck out and say England are going to beat India this summer. They will need stellar performances from Zak and Sehwag if they want to repeat their success last time, their batting is slow and old and Harbhajan is mediocre.

I'm going to stick my neck out as well then. We'll beat England, and even though their team is much better than last time, we're going to do it a bit more comfortably this time. IMHO, we just have a better team.

by Lara Lara Laughs Thu 06 Jan 2011, 22:09

Sehwag vs Strauss = Sehwag
Ghambir vs Cook = draw
Dravid vs Trott = draw
Tendulkar vs KP = Sachin
Laxman vs Bell = Laxman
Pujara Vs ? = ?
Prior vs Dhoni = Prior
Broad vs Sharma = Broad
Swann vs Bhajji = Swann
Sreesanth vs Tremlett = Tremlett
Anderson vs Zaheer = draw

Is that fair? 3 to India. 4 to England. 3 draws and 1 unknown.

Or, in more broad terms. India have the better top order and batsman and England have the better lower order and bowlers.

by Gary 111 Thu 06 Jan 2011, 22:15

doremi wrote:
Gary 111 wrote:Hmm, surprising India batted so slowly. Even Sehwag. Very conservative going at 2 an over, by scoring at even 3 an over they could have ensured more fielders in defensive positions and given them the option of having a dart at it if they got to the last session with 8 wickets intact.

I'm going to stick my neck out and say England are going to beat India this summer. They will need stellar performances from Zak and Sehwag if they want to repeat their success last time, their batting is slow and old and Harbhajan is mediocre.

I'm going to stick my neck out as well then. We'll beat England, and even though their team is much better than last time, we're going to do it a bit more comfortably this time. IMHO, we just have a better team.

India? Hmmmppphhf, they've got Zaheer Khan who I think is a class bowler. Sreesanth, hmmph, he's mercurial at times, and then he's mad at other times, you know? And Harbajan, hmmpf, he's taken some wickets in South Africa but I, I, it may be he's on the up again but from a long time he was on, you know, he really had regressed as a bowler. So I don't see either of those two teams, South Africa or India, having an attack that's anywhere near the standard of England's. - Ian Chappell

by holcs Thu 06 Jan 2011, 23:05

This match contained the best bit of Test cricket I have seen in years. Dale Steyn flying in with a newish ball at Tendulkar, simply genius cricket!!!

As for India in England, I expect a draw but being positive England to nick it by one because I don't think the Indian bowling line-up is near Englands, and the India top-order will be batting in England.

by Gary 111 Thu 06 Jan 2011, 23:44

India had a good top order. Will they still have one in 6 months time? For the first Test the middle order will be:

Dravid - 38 years & 6 months
Tendulkar - 38 years & 2 months
Laxman - 36 years & 8 months

How many 38 year olds have been successful in Test cricket in recent years? I think even aces like Lara & Steve Waugh retired by 37. Jayasuriya and Stewart will still going, not sure they got many runs though - though happy to be proved wrong if someone wants to dig out the stats.

I think Sehwag and Zak Attack will still be top quality next summer, but neither are ideal physical specimens themselves and will be closer to 33 than 32, so you never know, a slump might be round the corner there too.

by holcs Thu 06 Jan 2011, 23:48

Dravid has been on the wane in recent times.

Tendulkar looks top of his game at present, and axman is Laxman.

We will need to be wary of Sehwag and Zaheer, but the others hmmmm.

by Gary 111 Fri 07 Jan 2011, 00:34

If anyone can remain World Class at 38 its Tendulkar.

Dravid is fading, becoming more like Chris Tavare by the series. Laxman is a great talent, but he's another with no fitness. Can he even play 4 Tests in a row witout putting his back out?

I really do fancy England - and I don't think the Indian batsmen will fancy our battery of pace bowlers - Anderson, Broad, Tremlett, Finn, Brezzy, Shahzad, etc.

by Red Fri 07 Jan 2011, 01:36

A lot will depend on whether Khan stays fit. He should enjoy English conditions. The Indian batsmen didn't go for the win yesterday. You could argue they did well to survive in SA but the SA attacks lacks the depth of the English one and in the first innings they could have been out for under 200 if they were good enough to get edges to Steyn's thunderbolts.

On another note, surely this is the end for Harris. He can no longer simply play a holding role. The inability of SA to finish off teams in the second innings is largely due to the absence of a spinner as their pacemen get the job done in the first. The SA pitches also seem to die a bit and don't offer much to the quicks later on. Prince is marking time and should make way for Duminy who is more likely to play a matchwinning innings as he did in Melbourne. Parnell may replace Tsotsobe. The latter wasn't too bad but Parnell who has a tendency to leak runs also has a knack for taking wickets and can be lethal in helpful conditions.

Dravid looks near the end but Tendulkar proved there is still much life in the old dog. Whether India's batting remains strong may depend on whether guys like Pujara kick on. He was found wanting here but showed that he has a good temperament.