King Tendulkar Posted March 29, 2008 Share Posted March 29, 2008 Current test is going to be a draw as was obvoius after 1 hour of day 1. So lets think ahead to the 2nd test. Whats the pitch gonna be like? Another flat pancake? Any info? Any thoughts on team line up? Should Sharma come in as he has been declared fit? If so for whom? Link to comment
DomainK Posted March 29, 2008 Share Posted March 29, 2008 Both teams look solid in batting.....another flat track will only result in another draw. Link to comment
Laaloo Posted March 29, 2008 Share Posted March 29, 2008 time to change the banner lol rp crap and sachin crap:two_thumbs_up: Link to comment
PaiN_KiLLeR Posted March 29, 2008 Share Posted March 29, 2008 The curator at the Motera has told the media that the pitch will be a 'sporting' one. By which he obviously means, there will be some grass on the wicket ... which will disappear after the first hour of play on Day 1... and thereafter it's going to be a run feast till maybe the end of Day 4. Link to comment
cochise Posted March 29, 2008 Share Posted March 29, 2008 Aiyooo...can someone please buy some good, hot, South Indian masaala and liberally sprinkle this wicket with it? When are we going to have a contest? If we keep going like this, all the bowlers will have broken arms, shoulders knees and ankles by series end and batsmen will all have tennis elbow and broken bats. And the only surviving fielder from both sides of this attritional runfest will be Saurav Ganguly. Link to comment
Dhondy Posted March 29, 2008 Share Posted March 29, 2008 India need real victories, not moral wins, and that isn't going to happen until they give their bowlers the opportunity to take 20 wickets. For that, a lively pitch has to be prepared and some risks taken. I doubt India have the courage to do that. Ishant Sharma is fit and will probably replace the underperforming RP Singh at Ahmedabad, but really the boy was hamstrung by the pitch he was offered. Two pace bowlers in that heat and that surface is madness. They were flogged to within an inch of death. Expect to see the same at Ahmedabad unless both pitch and team composition changes. Cricinfo has headlines trumpeting "SA's revival", and Cullinan is bragging about "India playing into SA's hands"...this after India scored 627. India's moral victory has been hijacked! See, SA will be happy with a drawn series- it's India who have to do all the running. At the moment, I don't see how the conditions for that can be created. You know what we need- Ishant, Sreesanth and RP on a lively, fast pitch, our batsmen versus theirs- may the best men win. Link to comment
cochise Posted March 29, 2008 Share Posted March 29, 2008 I agree. Only one thing. RP really looks out of sorts. No rhythm, no swing, no speed...line and length all over the place...and his body language is not looking at all good. He didn't seem to battle through it too hard either. I know on a different wicket, he would be a different proposition altogether...but it worries me that he doesn't seem to be able to put the hard yards in when things are not going his way. Compare this to Dale Steyn's effort today and yesterday. And Ntini too...they just kept plugging away. Anyhow, lets hope he turns the corner. And quickly. Link to comment
Dhondy Posted March 29, 2008 Share Posted March 29, 2008 I agree. Only one thing. RP really looks out of sorts. No rhythm, no swing, no speed...line and length all over the place...and his body language is not looking at all good. He didn't seem to battle through it too hard either. I know on a different wicket, he would be a different proposition altogether...but it worries me that he doesn't seem to be able to put the hard yards in when things are not going his way. Compare this to Dale Steyn's effort today and yesterday. And Ntini too...they just kept plugging away. Anyhow, lets hope he turns the corner. And quickly. Steyn saved his blushes by picking up 4 tail end wickets, with Dhoni losing his on a charge. Ntini bowled well with the new ball, but again, all his scalps were people playing inappropriate shots while on the lookout for quick runs. The story of SA's bowling was epitomised by the 3rd day score of 468 for 1. Blown to smithereens. If India had 4 quick men allowing each other rest and recovery time, they would have picked up wickets too. Link to comment
cochise Posted March 29, 2008 Share Posted March 29, 2008 I am not saying they bowled exceptionally. But they stuck to their task with discipline. Yes, they were hammered by Sehwag...but can you say they bowled badly? Or did he bat well? I would think the latter...they maintained line and length mostly and speed too and tried to get the most out of the wicket. I can honestly say that our boys (Sree was good in spurts in the first innings) were not as disciplined. And for rest and recovery...come on...Kumble and Harbhajan were doing most of the bowling for us. Sree and RP had plenty of time to recover. Link to comment
Ram Posted March 29, 2008 Share Posted March 29, 2008 Cricinfo has headlines trumpeting "SA's revival", and Cullinan is bragging about "India playing into SA's hands"...this after India scored 627. India's moral victory has been hijacked! Absolutely, how can any side claim to have 'revived' their fortunes after conceding over 600 runs in the 1st innings ? What did cricinfo expect ? India to declare 90 mins before close of play, with a lead of 200 and reduce the Saffies to 65/4 before close of play ? T'was never gonna happen. Link to comment
cochise Posted March 29, 2008 Share Posted March 29, 2008 Cullinan always talks crap. Don't pay him any attention. Link to comment
Dhondy Posted March 29, 2008 Share Posted March 29, 2008 I am not saying they bowled exceptionally. But they stuck to their task with discipline. Yes, they were hammered by Sehwag...but can you say they bowled badly? Or did he bat well? I would think the latter...they maintained line and length mostly and speed too and tried to get the most out of the wicket. I can honestly say that our boys (Sree was good in spurts in the first innings) were not as disciplined. And for rest and recovery...come on...Kumble and Harbhajan were doing most of the bowling for us. Sree and RP had plenty of time to recover. Yes, there is no doubt RP Singh was shockingly poor. This is not the bowler we saw in England and Australia. Funny how things change in the matter of one Test match. Before this Test match, he'd probably have been the first quick on the team sheet. Now, even Pathan might make it ahead of him. Sport at the highest level is so unforgiving. No place to hide. Link to comment
cochise Posted March 29, 2008 Share Posted March 29, 2008 But he has to find the ability to lift himself out of this hole. And I hope he does it tomorrow. Otherwise, he will start to doubt himself...and that will not be good. We know he is very talented and how destructive he can be. But he also has to have the mental strength to go with it. I think he has it...but for some reason, he is channeling it into frustration instead. Link to comment
diegovegaz Posted March 29, 2008 Share Posted March 29, 2008 leave rpsingh, take ishant sharma initial break throughs r must, rpsingh has failed in both innings till now Link to comment
cochise Posted March 29, 2008 Share Posted March 29, 2008 I would go three quicks and two spinners. Ishant, Sree and one other, probably Pathan to bolster batting. RP would have been my automatic pick before this game before even Sree. Now I am not sure. Spinners - the usual two...I don't know the form of Murali Kartik and others. Link to comment
gs Posted March 29, 2008 Share Posted March 29, 2008 Might be worth trying Chawla. I dont see any big risks with it as Bhajji is pure shyte and we concede 400+ scores anyway if the pitch isnt helpful. Link to comment
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