South Africa v India, 3rd Test, Johannesburg, 24-28 January, 2018

India surely have enough now.

SA have dropped so many catches you have to question whether their fielding is that poor or their intensity has fallen away because this is one of those meaningless dead rubbers. We certainly don't play dead rubbers well either.

Elgar is a liability in the field and Andile Phek dropped one he should have taken and is far from a test bowler.

Hard to fathom why they played him. Doubt they would have had the series been alive.

Only 48 overs in two sessions from SAf as well. Must be all those physio breaks.

Shami smashing the SA bowlers. Can't believe how average they have been on a super helpful track.

Can only imagine what Steve Smith will do to them.

nick off?

play on?

embee wrote:nick off?

play on?

Maybe some of the others, but the SA attack would have to lift on this performance to trouble him.

Still wondering what the fifth seamer has added here. Ngidi appears to have been underbowled.

This could be interesting

taipan wrote:This could be interesting

Aye - squeezy butt cheeks time.

Match could be called off. captains discussing.

furriner wrote:Match could be called off. captains discussing.

No I believe they were discussing the importance of Yarp curators attending good schools.

Didn't see any of day 3. Looks like the Bannies put in a dogged effort. I see Marky Mark failed again. Wonder if the mighty Cook will get a call up for the Yarp v Oz series.

Interestingly the Indians have said they have played on more dangerous pitches than this. The SA coach conceded that India has responded to the conditions better. He said they never asked for grass, just pace and bounce. Think the pitch caused the SA bowlers to forget about line and length and bowl too short.

Still India deserves credit for the way they have comprehensively outplayed the home team. SA's abject catching actually let India into the game on day one and from then, the pitch has deteriorated.

The match will start at ten tomorrow.

Should be an interesting 4th day. Hope I get home in time to watch some of it.

It's one of the best batting performances I have seen from Indian batsmen on a pitch that Michael Holding called a "shit pitch", rated "2 out of 100", and compared it to Sabina Park 1998 when play was called off with England at 17/3.

SA still have a decent chance of pulling it off.  But If one Test can be any sort of indicator, this performance should some way to disprove that Indians can't play seam/ swing/pace.

Massive cloud cover. The cricket gods are smiling on India. They have certainly adapted a lot better to the conditions though, despite them being foreign to them, yet familiar to the locals.

Was interested in listening to the SA commentators like Wessels and Smith really decrying the performance of the home team bowlers.

furriner wrote:It's one of the best batting performances I have seen from Indian batsmen on a pitch that Michael Holding called a "shit pitch", rated "2 out of 100", and compared it to Sabina Park 1998 when play was called off with England at 17/3.

SA still have a decent chance of pulling it off.  But If one Test can be any sort of indicator, this performance should some way to disprove that Indians can't play seam/ swing/pace.

I think it's India's to lose Furri.

taipan wrote:

furriner wrote:It's one of the best batting performances I have seen from Indian batsmen on a pitch that Michael Holding called a "shit pitch", rated "2 out of 100", and compared it to Sabina Park 1998 when play was called off with England at 17/3.

SA still have a decent chance of pulling it off.  But If one Test can be any sort of indicator, this performance should some way to disprove that Indians can't play seam/ swing/pace.

I think it's India's to lose Furri.

It certainly is. It will be a massive surprise if they don't win.

Play is delayed.

Good to hear Gibson confirm that SA is not whining about the pitch and concedes that India has been superior, particularly with the ball.

Yes. Not just EColi but the other also showed a lot of resistance. It will be interesting to see if Elgar is keen to bat.

Who knows maybe the Bannies are a chance of a first series win in Oz next summer.

horace wrote:Yes. Not just EColi but the other also showed a lot of resistance. It will be interesting to see if Elgar is keen to bat.

Who knows maybe the Bannies are a chance of a first series win in Oz next summer.

The main problem India confronts here, is that the pitches are so flat that their bowlers often hoist the white flag. Our bowlers usually extract more from the surface. SA pitches give their bowlers a big chance of being competitive.

BTW, Markram will have to tighten his technique to avoid future trouble. He was out last night to one he didn't need to play out. He gifted Shami the wicket. Openers need to be more stingy and have better judgement than that.

taipan wrote:

furriner wrote:It's one of the best batting performances I have seen from Indian batsmen on a pitch that Michael Holding called a "shit pitch", rated "2 out of 100", and compared it to Sabina Park 1998 when play was called off with England at 17/3.

SA still have a decent chance of pulling it off.  But If one Test can be any sort of indicator, this performance should some way to disprove that Indians can't play seam/ swing/pace.

I think it's India's to lose Furri.

It seems balanced right now taips. Elgar and Amla have dug in.

furriner wrote:

taipan wrote:

furriner wrote:It's one of the best batting performances I have seen from Indian batsmen on a pitch that Michael Holding called a "shit pitch", rated "2 out of 100", and compared it to Sabina Park 1998 when play was called off with England at 17/3.

SA still have a decent chance of pulling it off.  But If one Test can be any sort of indicator, this performance should some way to disprove that Indians can't play seam/ swing/pace.

I think it's India's to lose Furri.

It seems balanced right now taips. Elgar and Amla have dug in.

Going to be tight either way I think. Shows the wisdom of batting first

F*ck me if yesterday's pitch doesn't seem to have gone on holiday.

SA now in position to win this.

Dean Elgar's got guts enough for two batsmen, but his technique seems to be shot.

India back in this

Under 100 now.

Have had a long day and bed calls.. Hope it goes to the wire.

horace wrote:Under 100 now.

Have had a long day and bed calls.. Hope it goes to the wire.

you might wake up to a tied match.

JGK wrote:

horace wrote:Under 100 now.

Have had a long day and bed calls.. Hope it goes to the wire.

you  might wake up to a tied match.

It's over. Pitch beginning to really play up now.

Well that escalated quickly.