All this because we lost the toss

[Sachinism]

No, this is where you are wrong. Test Match bowling IS NOT a series of events that just happen independantly of what a bowler is doing. The basics will always apply from bowling a fuller length with the new ball, to sticking with a great line and varying it with shock bouncers once it gets old. History and the facts are on my side. You're belief that Sree just shows up and the conditions are good and he gets wickets is the just ungrounded optimism based more on hope rather than fact. It's the same mistake the selectors keep on making.

Look I'm no fan of Sree, he'd probably be my last choice. But he is a bowler capable of getting movement and when he's chucking it up there and its not doing anything but giving the batsman a nice boundary opportunity, he can't keep doing that. You criticise him for bowling short, but how many times did he bowl those and have the batsman in trouble or playing a false shot? I saw about 10 overs play yesterday and about 5 times I saw Amla or Kallis playing getting into awkward positions or miss time the shot

[vvvslaxman]

We had no business getting all out under 200. Sorry' date=' thats bollocks.[/quote'] That is where the good bowling comes in. If only we had Toshbebe bowlig all day to us we would have also scored 500 runs in the first innings. That underlines the difference in quality of their bowling and our bowling. Steyn and Morkel bowled some very good deliveries . India has been collapsing even on Indian surfaces oflate. So one shouldn't be surprised at that collapse.

[hari504504]

But nevermind. I didn't want Sree to be in the squad in the first place but many here said "He was successful in SA before so he must play there again!" Now it's not because Sree, it's because of the pitch. I wonder what excuses will be made next for this pathetic waste of a bowler.

Dude.. who do you suggest as a replacement for Sreesanth ?...all our bowlers are below international standard (except for Zaheer)..Sreesanth.etc are the better of the lot...

[yoda]

There is no question that Toss has made a HUGE difference in this test. Yes we bowled like crap (not just Sree), but those few good balls with extra movement would have more than likely gotten us wickets on day 1.

[saneindian]

Besides the toss factor, take one of Steyn (leader of tha attack) out of the SA attack and they too would struggle. Zak's loss has been a major factor in this test. As our young bowling attack showed in SL earlier this year, after the first test, they keep getting better. Expect more of the same on this tour as well.

[Fontaine]

Dude.. who do you suggest as a replacement for Sreesanth ?...all our bowlers are below international standard (except for Zaheer)..Sreesanth.etc are the better of the lot...

This year in 6 tests Sree averages nearly 60 at a strike of 88 and he's taken what 12 wickets? That's two wickets every test. You could have a part time bowler for that kind of impact. Take your pick, anyone from Munaf Patel to Praveen Kumar to Mithun would be preferred over a part time bowler especially when he repeatedly gets the new ball.