Stuff you will read and hear in the next few days...

[coffee_rules]

1. Indian batsmen - FTB 2. India batsmen - can't play pace, bounce, swing or seam 3. BCCI - bad management - no practice matches 4. Players busy doing ads, endorsements, play for money 5. India not deserving to be #1 test team 6. Reason for all of India's problems - IPL! 7. Headlines going crazy insulting India at every chance. - CI having a orgasm of sorts. 8. Trolls having a field day - out of their woodwork. 9. It's the 90s all over again, Tendulkar getting all the praise for a well made 36 10. Padosis rejoicing on the street. Add more ...

[Jadoo]

Who gives a sh*t what peaople say, it's only day 1, first blood to them, but the war is still to be won bava.

[vayuu1]

same old story? after all the hype that was being created about india's so called final frontier ,i hate to say this but the first day has already shown the sign that we have a very difficult job the way indian team is showing vunerability against pace,bounce and swing says that this tour might show same old story of the previous tours ,its not that we have'nt faced it before, india have won in a lot tougher conditions in edgebeston 01,but the thing is we are bad starters and this might come to haunt us. So pray for team.

[coffee_rules]

Heard on CI ...on expected lines..

Don't think any Indian venue could have recovered from this sort of downpour. My point, Chaitanya, is that it doesn't matter who own the grounds. BCCI's mandate (I believe) is to invest in cricket in India. And they have the money to make a difference. Buying a few big, leakproof covers won't be a dent on their coffers, even if they are for grounds that they don't own, technically.

I thought the drainage was getting better in test centers atleast. But the knives are out at every opportunity.

[yoda]

Heard on CI ...on expected lines.. I thought the drainage was getting better in test centers atleast. But the knives are out at every opportunity.

well that is a valid criticism. it may be getting better, but not good enough.

[kabira]

well that guy from CI forgot how india was robbed from a test victory in 1996 at Joberg, the graound staff deliberately delayed everything so that there was not much time left.

[Guest Hiten.]

Heard on CI ...on expected lines.. I thought the drainage was getting better in test centers atleast. But the knives are out at every opportunity.

Any criticism towards Indian ground is a valid one. With so much, you'd expect Class A facilities at major cricketing grounds but right now we're wandering at Class C to Class D, which is ridiculous.

[hari504504]

I am just waiting for the safferr batting response before taking the knife out... All that Karate Kid-Mr.Miyagi training at Kirsten's Acedemy was to put on show this crap....:facepalm:

[Deleted_User_1]

1. Indian batsmen - FTB Not all of them, some are. Actually this is the problem of modern day cricket. Most of the wickets are pattas or good batting strips and the quality of fearsome bowlers is dwindling. So when one comes along, the batsman are clueless and do not know how to survive. 2. India batsmen - can't play pace, bounce, swing or seam Some of them can't. You need match practice to play high quality bowling, India did not. India just came to SA a week back :-( 3. BCCI - bad management - no practice matches Absolutely true. BCCI is just busy making money. 4. Players busy doing ads, endorsements, play for money Some do. But these guys are professionals, and I do not think this should be a factor. I think this has less of an effect. 5. India not deserving to be #1 test team The are #1, but they are not as balanced as I would want in a no 1 team. Plus India has not played quality opponents away for a while. So this is their test and so will be the whole of 2011. If they fail in 2011, they will slip down (lots of overseas tours coming). 6. Reason for all of India's problems - IPL! IPL is evil - period.

[The Realist]

Its the lack of planning which really gets to me. Its inexplicable that there was not even one practice game before the start of the test series. Net sessions should complement games, not be seen as the replacement. Just contrast with the approach England have taken in Australia and the benefits they are reaping are for all to see. It's a simple adage but its so true: if you fail to plan then you plan to fail.

[saneindian]

Heard on CI ...on expected lines.. I thought the drainage was getting better in test centers atleast. But the knives are out at every opportunity.

What CI forgot to mention was the views of Ian Gould who said "had it been England, we would have got no play for at least 2 days". Many a times, its not just about drainage. Grounds situated at an altitude tend to dry up quite quickly compatred to grounds in the planes. On the OP's list, Is anyone going to say that SA bowlers need helpful wickets to do well? Needed a spiteful wicket vs England to draw the series, could not take 20 wickets vs Pak and now this.

[fineleg]

Its the lack of planning which really gets to me. Its inexplicable that there was not even one practice game before the start of the test series. Net sessions should complement games, not be seen as the replacement. Just contrast with the approach England have taken in Australia and the benefits they are reaping are for all to see. It's a simple adage but its so true: if you fail to plan then you plan to fail.

Yes, and as is the case with Ashes - not only they had 2 or 3 warmup matches before the Ashes having gotten there a month before, they also had a 4th warmup match before the Perth Test. Consummate preparation by England team - hats off :hatsoff: to ECB BCCI :woot:

[youngindia]

the incompetent morons sent the team to almost certain defeat at melbourne in 2008 .that loss proved costly as the series was lost 2-1. only little has changed. In this case, the loss of the toss was crucial though. but the players really need to pressure the board about having a two weeks head start and three practice games as far as sa/aus are concerned.

[Nova]

Its the lack of planning which really gets to me. Its inexplicable that there was not even one practice game before the start of the test series. Net sessions should complement games, not be seen as the replacement. Just contrast with the approach England have taken in Australia and the benefits they are reaping are for all to see. It's a simple adage but its so true: if you fail to plan then you plan to fail.

Agree 100%. Practice games are there for a reason. Rain didn't help us either. :((

[bunny]

1. Indian batsmen - FTB Not all of them, some are. Actually this is the problem of modern day cricket. Most of the wickets are pattas or good batting strips and the quality of fearsome bowlers is dwindling. So when one comes along, the batsman are clueless and do not know how to survive. 2. India batsmen - can't play pace, bounce, swing or seam Some of them can't. You need match practice to play high quality bowling, India did not. India just came to SA a week back :-( 3. BCCI - bad management - no practice matches Absolutely true. BCCI is just busy making money. 4. Players busy doing ads, endorsements, play for money Some do. But these guys are professionals, and I do not think this should be a factor. I think this has less of an effect. 5. India not deserving to be #1 test team The are #1, but they are not as balanced as I would want in a no 1 team. Plus India has not played quality opponents away for a while. So this is their test and so will be the whole of 2011. If they fail in 2011, they will slip down (lots of overseas tours coming). 6. Reason for all of India's problems - IPL! IPL is evil - period.

Good post. IPL is evil but entertaining with all its shenanigans :)

[vamos_rafa]

What CI forgot to mention was the views of Ian Gould who said "had it been England, we would have got no play for at least 2 days". Many a times, its not just about drainage. Grounds situated at an altitude tend to dry up quite quickly compatred to grounds in the planes. On the OP's list, Is anyone going to say that SA bowlers need helpful wickets to do well? Needed a spiteful wicket vs England to draw the series, could not take 20 wickets vs Pak and now this.

Fair point. Everyone's busy finding faults with India. No one realizes that SA, who have arguably the best new ball bowling pair could not get Pakis out on flat tracks. And they had to retort to a green track to get Poms out. If a batsman is measured by his performance on green tracks then a bowler should be defined by his performance on flat tracks. Greats like Wasim, Ambrose never relied upon wickets to get them people out.

[Ramzz]

Fair point. Everyone's busy finding faults with India. No one realizes that SA, who have arguably the best new ball bowling pair could not get Pakis out on flat tracks. And they had to retort to a green track to get Poms out. If a batsman is measured by his performance on green tracks then a bowler should be defined by his performance on flat tracks. Greats like Wasim, Ambrose never relied upon wickets to get them people out.

My exact thoughts! Batters are asked to prove themselves on bowler friendly tracks, so bowlers should be asked to prove their worth on batter friendly tracks!

[jf1gp_1]

1. Indian batsmen - FTB 2. India batsmen - can't play pace, bounce, swing or seam 3. BCCI - bad management - no practice matches 4. Players busy doing ads, endorsements, play for money 5. India not deserving to be #1 test team 6. Reason for all of India's problems - IPL! 7. Headlines going crazy insulting India at every chance. - CI having a orgasm of sorts. 8. Trolls having a field day - out of their woodwork. 9. It's the 90s all over again, Tendulkar getting all the praise for a well made 36 10. Padosis rejoicing on the street. Add more ...

Didnt see it myself but apparently India tv last night was flashing ' Centurion mai bana India ka manchurian ' :haha:

[maniac]

The only thing that this team needs to criticised for is the attitude....They already look demoralised...it is situations like this that will test the captain and the senior players.

[gs]

Only Dravid ad SRT looked like they belonged to this level. Everyone else seemed like nervous wreck! Viru should be seriously reprimanded for a useless shot like that.