South Africa v India, 1st Test, Centurion, Dec 16-20, 2010

Played Saf.

Tendulkar, Effing Ledge. BBE.

SG wrote:Craig Mathews is saying what anyone would say.

Toss was absolutely vital for the outcome of this test.

Sooking bgins.

hope india has better luck for the next test. they may well rue this if they manage to end up winning one of the two remaining tests

Even though they lost the toss and had to bat when the ball was moving around, India should still have made more runs than they did. 250 would have been par.

Henry wrote:I think India have to drop Raina and Harbhajan.

The selection should be taken out of Dhoni's hands. These two aren't up to it at the moment.

In Harbhajan's case, hopefully off a tall building.

Henry wrote:Even though they lost the toss and had to bat when the ball was moving around, India should still have made more runs than they did. 250 would have been par.

definitely. also their bowling early on the 3rd day was woeful allowing south africa to make too many too fast. if they had managed to at least keep it a bit tight they would either be looking at a smaller deficit or less time to bat

but that first day was the only day where the ball did anything. if india had won the toss they may not have won by an innings, but would almost certainly be the team that came out better from the match

JGK wrote:

Henry wrote:No, he just (rightly) saw the situation as helpless. One wicket in hand, and 30 runs behind. No chance of even drawing the game.

Still, you can imagine the likes of Hussey or Gilly or Lara going down swinging.

Yep. I too found his tactic quite strange.

swinging wouldnt have helped his team. his only hope was for him to play out the day with the tail-enders. dont see how playing risky shots would have been in our interest

maybe good for some entertainment. but irresponsible

Henry wrote:Even though they lost the toss and had to bat when the ball was moving around, India should still have made more runs than they did. 250 would have been par.

Indeed.

136 was always going to be at least 100-run short of a fair total on that surface. And I'd blame Sehwag for that. Got to be lambasted endlessly for the stroke he played on only the 3rd ball he faced on a tour as tough as this. Even his 2nd innings stroke he got out on was absolutely pathetic in the circumstances.

The toss was crucial but India should have made more runs on Thursday, and bear in mind that Tsotsobe, who doesn't look up to test cricket leaked plenty as well, especially to Tendulkar and Dhoni. Had Parnell, who can be lethal in these type of conditions been match fit, India may have been bowled out for under one hundred.

Still, if the pitches in the next two tests are flat, and Khan plays, the contests will be tight. Rice has proven to be off the mark so far proclaiming that SA would struggle to take twenty wickets but India wouldn't.

Had Parnell, who can be lethal in these type of conditions been match fit, India may have been bowled out for under one hundred.

And you know that as a fact?

I've a feeling that FTB will still get picked for the next test in the name of giving a fair chance to everyone.

SG wrote:

Henry wrote:Even though they lost the toss and had to bat when the ball was moving around, India should still have made more runs than they did. 250 would have been par.

Indeed.

136 was always going to be at least 100-run short of a fair total on that surface. And I'd blame Sehwag for that. Got to be lambasted endlessly for the stroke he played on only the 3rd ball he faced on a tour as tough as this. Even his 2nd innings stroke he got out on was absolutely pathetic in the circumstances.

That's Sehwag though. He'll play the same shot in the next test that he played in the first innings here, it will go for six, and we'll all be saying what a fantastic player he is.

Raina won't be dropped, let's not increase the agony by speculating that he will. If Zak isn't back, we're screwed.

Red wrote:
Still, if the pitches in the next two tests are flat, and Khan plays, the contests will be tight. Rice has proven to be off the mark so far proclaiming that SA would struggle to take twenty wickets but India wouldn't.

Khan averages about 36 in SA doesn't he?

As much as I hate to say it.....

and devilliers had an average of 36 batting in south africa before this series. doesnt mean much

Um, yes it does. De Villiers is improving all the time. Khan is older since the last tour and has lost pace.

Just pointing out that he might not be saviour that everyone thinks he will be.

The One wrote:and devilliers had an average of 36 batting in south africa before this series. doesnt mean much

Indeed.

Just like Tendulkar averaging less than 40 in SA before this test while VVS was the only one who averaged in excess of 40 in SA from the Indian team.

As it turned, VVS couldn't get to double figures in both the innings of this test while Tendulkar was the highest scorer for India in both innings of this test.

Past stats means sh!t, honestly speaking. Anyone can have a good day or 2 at any given point of time, despite being crap previously.

Khan is older since the last tour and has lost pace.

Zaheer wasn't even in top-20 bowlers of world in '06 while he is world's 3rd best bowler at present.

That shows how futile it is to predict anything on the basis of a tour that happened 4 years back.

So that's Bradman farked then.

SG wrote:

Khan is older since the last tour and has lost pace.

Zaheer wasn't even in top-20 bowlers of world in '06 while he is world's 3rd best bowler at present.

That shows how futile it is to predict anything on the basis of a tour that happened 4 years back.

So the fact that India have been crap for the past 4 tours to SA means nothing?

After the last test I would say it doea.

India wasn't crap on its last tour to SA. They fought SA very valiantly. It was just one shoddy batting performance in a single session without which series would've been locked 1-1.

If you still call that crap then you're even more of a clueless troll than you already are.

Meh, stop the bickering. Whatever happens, the next test will be a lot closer.

SG wrote:India wasn't crap on its last tour to SA. They fought SA very valiantly. It was just one shoddy batting performance in a single session without which series would've been locked 1-1.

If you still call that crap then you're even more of a clueless troll than you already are.

Ah back into moral victory territory.

You lost. Live with it.

Henry wrote:Meh, stop the bickering.

PMSL