Discussing first test at Nagpur between India and SA, 2010

[hari504504]

Please do not create a thread like "Indian batsmen will make a SHTRONG comeback on day three "

[Karan114]

Please do not create a thread like "Indian batsmen will make a SHTRONG comeback on day three "

:haha:

[saneindian]

None of the deliveries shown to be over 90mph today were as fast as normally most 90+ deliveries appear to be. Seems Neo is deliberately hyping up the speeds of SA bowlers :--D

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It's a big day for us tomorrow: Kirsten Team India has had little going in its favour in the opening two days of the first Test at the VCA Stadium here in Nagpur. More... It's a big day for us tomorrow: Kirsten February 07, 2010 17:53 IST Team India has had little going in its favour in the opening two days of the first Test at the VCA Stadium here in Nagpur. After making early inroads into the South African batting, the hosts have since only been mere spectators to an impressive batting effort by the visitors -- an effort that ended in them mounting a mammoth 558 for six declared in their first innings after being two down with just six runs on board at the start. While the Indian bowlers failed to take wickets at regular intervals and keep the pressure on the opposition, they did manage to keep the scoring rate under check throughout. And if Indian coach Gary Kirsten is to be believed, therein lies the success of his bowlers. "At 291 for two at the end of the opening day we were left with two options, we either needed to take wickets or keep the run rate down," explained Kirsten. "We were not getting the wickets. So I think the guys bowled well to keep the run rate down," he added. The South African was a tad philosophical in explaining his bowlers' lack of success in terms of wickets taken. "There are days when the bowling simply doesn't work," he reasoned. "And we only look at what we are supposed to do and how we do it well. "But when the opposition does counter your strategies well you have got to acknowledge that too," he added, generously crediting the South African's batting effort. The coach refused to buy the idea that his side was a bowler short and needed a fifth option. "In the last 15 Test matches that we have played, besides one Test in Bangladesh, we have always played with four frontline bowlers," he explained, adding, "And I believe we have a good record during that period." Kirsten, however, agreed that his team has an uphill task ahead of them. "It is a big day for us tomorrow from the batting perspective," noted the coach. "The pitch is taking turn but the South African batsmen showed it is not out of hand." The coach also admitted the team will miss the presence of heavyweights like Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman in its ranks. "Obviously we do miss the experience of Dravid and Laxman," said Kirsten. "But at the same time I think (Murali) Vijay and Badri (S Badrinath) have an opportunity to prove their mettle," he added.

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Proteas sacrifice records for strategy South Africa captain, Graeme Smith, declared their innings five runs short of their biggest total against India and 24 runs short of Hashim Amla reaching the highest ever total by a Proteas batsman. More... Proteas sacrifice records for strategy February 07 2010 Nagpur, India - South Africa put match strategy ahead of chasing records as they declared their first innings at 558/6 on day two of the second Test against India on Sunday. The total was five runs short of South Africa's biggest ever score against India, while Hashim Amla was left stranded on 253 not out - 24 runs short of the highest ever score by a South African batsman. That record remains with the man who made the declaration, captain Graeme Smith, ironically. The declaration was intended to give South Africa's bowlers a shot at a wicket in twilight at the end of the day, but India's openers got through the four overs and finished the day at 25/0. Virender Sehwag was on nine and Gautam Gambhir was 12 not out. Amla recorded his maiden Test double century, surpassing his previous highest score of 176 against New Zealand in 2007. The 27-year-old, with the pronounced beard as a testament to his Muslim faith, batted for 675 minutes, facing 473 balls and striking 22 fours. He survived a chance when on 149, dropped by Subramaniam Badrinath at forward short leg. While Amla reached the double ton, Jacques Kallis fell short yet again and appears destined to go through his fine career without reaching the rare mark. Kallis was out for 173, caught bat-pad by Murali Vijay at short leg off Harbhajan Singh. He and Amla put on 340 runs for the third wicket - the highest third-wicket stand ever scored in India and the biggest in test cricket since the same pair put on 330 against New Zealand in 2007. Kallis faced 351 deliveries and hit fifteen boundaries and two sixes. Amla did surpass A.B. de Villiers' record for the highest score by a South African against India, which had stood at 217. The pair put on 108 runs for the fourth wicket. De Villiers made a breezy 53 off 88 deliveries before he fell to the guile of part-time bowler Virender Sehwag. He failed to reach the flight of a delivery and succeeded only in getting a thick edge to Badrinath at point. He hit four boundaries. Jean-Paul Duminy (9) went soon after, missing an attempted sweep shot and being adjudged lbw to Singh (2/145), even though replays suggested the ball would have passed over the stumps. Mark Boucher, no stranger to the conditions as an Indian Premier League player, contributed 39 before trying to hoist a Zaheer Khan ball from outside off stump to the leg-side boundary and delivered a catch to Amit Mishra at cover. Khan was the pick of the India bowlers with 3/96. Gambhir and Sehwag will carry an added responsibility for India's reply, given the injuries to the side that mean the normally strong batting lineup is without Rahul Dravid, Yuvraj Singh and V.V.S. Laxman. - Sapa-AP

[Lord]

Thanks

[thevortex]

Wait and watch tomorrow. I am sure you wont be disappointed for pace. The South Africans leave the Indians behind easily. A few miles behind, really. On the pace front, at least.

[thevortex]

I watched around 70 overs ball by ball and also feel that our bowlers' date=' except Harbhajan, did a good job. Kallis and Amla batted really well and deserve credit but there were always half chances being created and never did the South Africans run away with the game. Can't really ask for a better effort on the kind of a flat and slow pitch where the batsmen are willing to grind it out. Harbhajan, yes, is a different animal.[/quote'] Absolutely disagree! Mishra was mediocre. And I watched the whole day's play. Only the most defenisve kind of leg spinner targets the off stump for a right hander. There is little point in him bowling there. He is just not giving himself enough chances to snap the batsman up. I dont care how many times the Neo Cricket blokes put up replays of him beating the bat. He is not going to pick up a wicket unless a batsman messes up big time. Purely because of his trajectory, speed and line. Harbhajan is a finger spinner. Dont expect him to be successful on the first day of a Test match. His weapon is bounce more than spin. I fully expect him to be more of a force as the match goes on. And the less said about Ishant the better. He has a shining example at the other end in the form of Zaheer. He just was not able to deliver. He needs to focus on the incoming delivery if he wants to get back to his best. Without that he will remain a shadow of the young guy who troubled Ricky Ponting continuously and consistently.

[Sooda]

Ironically eh? lol @ 'strategy'.. if they did have a plan theyd have accelerated a little bit prior to declaring so they could have got the records and had more time to bowl at India. May as well have batted the four overs

[Karan114]

Ironically eh? lol @ 'strategy'.. if they did have a plan theyd have accelerated a little bit prior to declaring so they could have got the records and had more time to bowl at India. May as well have batted the four overs

Quite. Their approach was confused towards the declaration, it is rather amusing to see the article talk about strategy...

[zen]

SA would have helped themselves more if they had made an effort to score quickly Talking abt declarations over landmarks, who can forget Ind declaring in Pak w/ Tendulkar on 194

[Sachinism]

What strategy? Ensure you don't lose, you may not even win

[vvvslaxman]

SA interviews and the answers to them are like bad Television serials.

[achilles]

Proteas played a smart trick, but albeit a very late one. I got a sense that they were looking to save the game and keep it in their reach before they would let India have a crack, which is a bit defensive, I feel. They could've batted fast, which they didn't.

[achilles]

Wow' date=' you guys lay into Dhoni when he publicly criticizes and rip into him if he does not.[/quote'] As much as I hate this kind of an approach we as fans have to this, its just something which is a part and parcel of South Asian cricket. We all go over-the-top... with praise and otherwise

[thevortex]

All said and done, a brave move. One that I dont think India might have done - if a batsman was just past 250 runs in a Test match. But yes as somebody pointed out, if the pace of run scoring was just a bit higher then SA could have afforded Amla the triple.

[thevortex]

I watched around 70 overs ball by ball and also feel that our bowlers' date=' except Harbhajan, did a good job. Kallis and Amla batted really well and deserve credit but there were always half chances being created and never did the South Africans run away with the game. Can't really ask for a better effort on the kind of a flat and slow pitch where the batsmen are willing to grind it out. Harbhajan, yes, is a different animal.[/quote'] Moreover, if I were to be brutally honest, Sehwag was better than both Harbhajan and Mishra. And he ought to have had 2 wickets. He had Boucher caught down the leg side by Dhoni. But umpire Ian Gould did not see it that way. A clear edge off Boucher's glove.

[achilles]

^ Boucher really didn't deserve to be there long enough, especially after cheating. But did you look at the way he reacted after he got legally out? I was like, this guy actually got to 39 because he cheated his way to it and look at him throw tantrums, as if he just got out on 99 :giggle:

[thevortex]

^ Boucher really didn't deserve to be there long enough' date=' especially after cheating. But did you look at the way he reacted after he got legally out? I was like, this guy actually got to 39 because he cheated his way to it and look at him throw tantrums, as if he just got out on 99 :giggle:[/quote'] I think he was disappointed at himself for not spotting that slower ball from Zaheer and not giving Amla company to get somewhere close to the triple more than anything. I would not call his decision to not walk, cheating. Anybody in current world cricket would do the same. Even Sachin Tendulkar. That is how crucial decisions have become in the game.

[Cricketics]

Smith got scared that his record will be broken by Amla.