South Africa v India, 1st Test, Centurion, 26-30 December, 2021

India win the toss & decide to bat.

What's a "Marco Jansen"?

It conceded 12 runs in its first over.

Bannies cruising at 0-90 just after Lunch.

Protea attack looks weak sans Nokia and Olivier. Jansen making debut. Very weak SA side.

"Ngidi to Agarwal, OUT

huge appeal for lbw and Elgar reviews again. Once again, it may be a poor one. Let's take a look. This is good length, sliding in from a middle stump line and hitting Mayank on the knee roll in front of leg stump. He was caught deep in the crease trying to push at this and was beaten on the inside edge. This is almost definitely missing leg. We await ball tracking. "Can we get on with it?" screams someone - not sure if that was stump mic or from the third umpire's box. Oh wait! Elgar's got it right! Apologies to him. And well done too, I suppose. Tracking has this clipping the top of leg. South Africa have the wicket they desperately needed. Mayank is shaking his head aggressively as he walks off. Against the run of play, he is gone after a solid innings. In the dressing room, he has his hands on his hips and his helmet still on. South Africa thought about this for a bit before the review, and ultimately they've been proven right
Mayank Agarwal lbw b Ngidi 60 (123b 9x4 0x6) SR: 48.78"


That looked very strange to me. The ball's impact on the pad was nowhere near where ball tracking indicated.

WideWally wrote:That looked very strange to me. The ball's impact on the pad was nowhere near where ball tracking indicated.

Yeah, doubt Indians will be happy about that.

Didn't look out to me. It also got an out of form Pujara in the next ball... otherwise been 2 excellent sessions.

Surprised Olivier didn't get picked today.

The prospect of some competitive Test cricket appears a distant one wherever you look…

Red wrote:

WideWally wrote:That looked very strange to me. The ball's impact on the pad was nowhere near where ball tracking indicated.

Yeah, doubt Indians will be happy about that.

Yarps manipulating DRS??

skully wrote:

Red wrote:

WideWally wrote:That looked very strange to me. The ball's impact on the pad was nowhere near where ball tracking indicated.

Yeah, doubt Indians will be happy about that.

Yarps manipulating DRS??

Rohit probably

Draw looks likely

One would imagine SA is capable of crumbling though. Like the poms odd selections too, like leaving out Olivier who's been their top domestic bowler this year despite losing their best test bowler Nortje.

India have lost 6/36 today. Ngidi & Rabada are running amok.

28 December has not been a good day for Test match batting anywhere in the world.

Jarco Mansen takes his first test wicket to end the innings at 327.

Bannies lost 7-49 from 3-fer.

skully wrote:Bannies lost 7-49 from 3-fer.

Just reiterates the notion that test players today struggle against good bowling on remotely challenging pitches.

SA collapsing catastrophically here.

Red wrote:

skully wrote:Bannies lost 7-49 from 3-fer.

Just reiterates the notion that test players today struggle against good bowling on remotely challenging pitches.

Not an easy pitch at all, though. But there were quite a few bad shots - Rahul and Rahane today. Kohli's was a shocker yesterday. India's shortened batting didn't help. Thakur does seem a bit Sam Curran 2018.

Between 6-30 odd and 11-80... there can't have been many better bowling days in test cricket.

28 December 2021 - ball destroys bat.

Bannies well on top.

Marco Jansen. Already looks more accomplished than Potato Starc(h).

Thanks for explaining your little turd of hilarity Adders

Ball dominates bat in Test cricket, the reverse happens in the shorter forms. So decent bowlers gravitate towards the longer game and vice versa, making the issue worse and worse?

Pitch a bit of a minefield now.