Thread for pre-match newsreports and discussion on the Durban Test

[vishalvirsingh]

:hysterical::hysterical::hysterical::hysterical:

probably he( dhoni) has done the right thing as if guys dont perform they shud be screwed as millions of indians are crazy and have faith in players to perform. i feel sreesanth atleast did not bend his back as much as he can.... ishant did a bit and hence got a wicket or two..though he shud have faired a bit better. jaidev bhai..he needs rest and a bit of Chicken to grow up and then come back to Indian team.. Vishal

[Sachin=GOD]

probably he( dhoni) has done the right thing as if guys dont perform they shud be screwed as millions of indians are crazy and have faith in players to perform. i feel sreesanth atleast did not bend his back as much as he can.... ishant did a bit and hence got a wicket or two..though he shud have faired a bit better. jaidev bhai..he needs rest and a bit of Chicken to grow up and then come back to Indian team.. Vishal

I think we're all being too critical of Unadkat - it was his 1st test match and on top of that this was the first time he was bowling in SA and that too without even 1 practice match. As for the other bowlers, they did very poorly and should have done better but lets not jump to conclusions about them being unable to bowl in SA etc - its just 1 innings in which they have failed, lets wait for the next match and see how they do.

[fineleg]

Thread for pre-match newsreports and discussion on the Durban Test Deccan Chronicle

The forested hills surrounding Durban from one side, gradually give way to wooded dunes and then finally the sandy coast as you move to the heart of the city. The Kingsmead cricket ground, just off the coast splashed by the warm Indian Ocean, is a treat for the eyes. It’s shaped in such a manner that the sea breeze wafting in from the east is not disturbed by the two towering stands erected on either side of the ground. This makes the grassy banks of the tropical city even more welcoming than those in the rest of the country. The picture-postcard appearance, however, would be the last thing India might want to see right now. Down 0-1 in the three-match Test series following an innings and 25-run loss to South Africa in the first Test at Centurion, Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s men play the second one here from Sunday, knowing fully well that Durban has been nothing short of a hell-ride whenever the Indians have come calling. The catastrophic Test of 1996-97 remains the most painful memory with India managing 100 all out in the first innings and then topping it with 66 all out in the second stint. But while this is the nadir, there have been other infamous outings too for the batsmen. In the first-ever Test here in 1992, India had collapsed to 38/4 at the start. South Africa, in contrast, racked up almost 700 in one innings in similar conditions — 658/9 against the West Indies in 2004. The pitch is quick and bouncy here, but the breeze gives the South African seamers wings. “The Proteas know exactly how to use the breeze to curtail or gain movement while bowling. It’s why the pacers here get so many wickets. You don’t come to Durban 0-1 down, you come here having either drawn or won the first few games, so that you carry that confidence here,” former South African cricketer Peter Kirsten said. “This was always going to be India’s toughest Test yet, and they’ve made it worse by losing at Centurion.” There’s still four days for India to think of ways on how to avoid past mistakes and possibly make a comeback. But the job won’t be easy considering how weak India’s batting was in Centurion, despite the fightback in the second innings by Sachin Tendulkar and skipper Dhoni, who put on a face-saving 172-run partnership. One thought that over a period of time the Indians would have come to terms with the conditions especially since the batting line-up has been virtually the same. Tendulkar went to South Africa on the first visit 18 years ago, Rahul Dravid and V.V.S Laxman were first members of the touring party in 1996 and Virender Sehwag joined the party in 2001. Just thrice in 13 Tests in SA have India topped 400 and this does not speak well of the star-studded batting line-up in the game that has been pushing India’s totals past 500-plus quite consistently in recent times. Nothing illustrates this better than the single fact that while the career averages of the quartet of Sehwag, Laxman, Dravid and Tendulkar are either in the late forties or fifties, their averages in Tests in South Africa plummet to between 27 and 44. “India’s strengths lie in their batting. You can expect bowlers of both sides to do well — they’ll relish the juiced pitch, but if India bat well, it could put the pressure back on South Africa,” added Kirsten. “To beat South Africa, you have to put them under pressure.” Kingsmead offers India a chance to do that, but only if they fix their batting mess.

[fineleg]

ToI Weather woes continue to follow the visitors The gorgeous coastal city of Durban is set to accord a damp, muggy welcome to the Indian cricket team. The Indians are scheduled to arrive on Thursday, for the second Test that will be played from December 26. On Tuesday, the weather forecast for the next four-five days said rains in the evenings every day. Christmas Day, then, is expected to have torrents of downpour through the day. But met department predicts it should clear up after that and should not disturb the Test. However, the overcast conditions and regular rain before the match is bound to impact the state of the Kingsmead pitch. And that won't be good news for India who will be trying to bounce back from a comprehensive defeat in the first Test. The playing pitch is all grass and looks a strange black. In fact, there is so much grass on it for now that, from a distance, it's difficult to differentiate it from the ground. Stadium manager Brett Proctor, though, informed that the curator would start cutting the grass from Wednesday if there was enough sun. "If it remains cloudy tomorrow too, then the cutting would begin on Thursday. We want to prepare a good Test pitch," Proctor said, adding, "bad light is always a problem here. So, it's important that the pitch lasts till the fifth day." "If we take out the grass completely, then it becomes a batsman's paradise. You can then expect 600 plus scores which won't be good. It'll be then like the Centurion on the second and third day during the first Test." Clearly, Kingsmead won't give Indian batsmen the luxury of playing on a batting beauty," added Proctor. Kingsmead is famed for its bounce and Proctor said the pitch would retain the feature. "Any bowler willing to bend his back would get good bounce." The official, however, pointed out that the behaviour of the track here depends largely on where the wind is coming from. "If it's coming over from the north, then the fast bowlers will enjoy themselves. If it's coming from the south (Proctor pointed towards the dressing rooms), then batting is easy." No prizes for guessing then what would be India's preferred wind direction. India's travails at the Centurion were primarily caused by rains and cloudy skies which left the pitch damp. Durban will offer more of the same, at least till before the start of the Test. Read more: Weather woes continue to follow the visitors - The Times of India

[jf1gp_1]

.. to top it all DHoni will lose toss

[Deleted_User_1]

Lovely! This series is done for as far India is concerned. To top it off if the Bihari loses the toss again, which he will, expect a repeat of Centurion.

[suraj]

we will lose this one too

[Feed]

It could be worse than Centurian for India at Durban More... They will look to do it all over again at Durban Subhash Rajta, Hindustan Times Durban, December 21, 2010 There's another Centurion in the making at Durban. The city has been experiencing continuous showers for the past 10 days, and rain is forecast for almost every day till the morning of the first day of the second Test, which starts on December 26. This means the wicket could be as damp and difficult to bat on as it was in Centurion on the first day, which saw India collapse to 136. Given MS Dhoni's luck with the toss and the confidence of the South African pace attack, the conditions should worry the visitors. "We are trying our best to prepare a wicket that could take the contest to the final day. But if the conditions continue to remain what they are right now, it could behave more or less the same as the Centurion wicket did in the first couple of sessions," said Bert Procter, the Kingsmead manager. The conditions are not pleasant. Amid overcast conditions, the wicket looks slush green and the outfield is soggy. "We will cut the grass as soon as we see some sun. But if the sun doesn't come out, trimming the grass won't have the desired effect as the moisture will stay and there would the lateral movement until the track dries out," said Procter. The other worry for batsmen, especially the Indians, is the wicket won't flatten out as much as it did in Centurion. Not only will it have more bounce and pace, the breeze will ensure the bowlers always have some assistance. India are saddled with substantial baggage from the past. They have played here twice and lost twice. They were bowled out for 66 and 100 en route to the first loss and this remains one of their lowest lows till date. India would need to rise above the conditions and history to keep their dreams of winning a series alive.

[jibranpatel15]

Hurrey !!! GO SA GO

[straight.drive]

Damn...next time saffers come over here, they should be forced to play on dust bowls. Their "illustrative" top order will not last more than 40 overs. These Saffers are the most pathetic players of spin bowling.

[saneindian]

Can Dhoni win the damn toss for a change? Spend the next 4 days practising tossing the coin and calling it right. If not, then send Gambhir for the toss (he won a number of tosses in the ODI series).

[fineleg]

^ He'll (MSD) just come out and lose the toss AGAIN!

[jf1gp_1]

look at the bright side in 2003 right before the WC India got similiar conditions in NZ lost everything yet did well in WC; we are heading in the same direction

[vamos_rafa]

^ Guys, we have the batting to counter their bowling. One bad inning does not make our batters FTBs. We have done well in these conditions several times before. No need to press the panic button.

[TheWall]

Damn...next time saffers come over here' date=' they should be forced to play on dust bowls. Their "illustrative" top order will not last more than 40 overs. These Saffers are the most pathetic players of spin bowling.[/quote'] do you want them to commit suicide....:omg:

[kabira]

Well hope for best....I would say Bat First if its not overcast...we actually have good memories in Durban (not in Tests though)

[Guest prince]

How do you think the pitch at Kingsmead will behave? The pitch at Kingsmead for the Boxing Day Test between South Africa and India, Durban, December 22, 2010

[Guest Gunner]

Please check before you open new threads please.

[Clarke]

The pitch at Kingsmead for the Boxing Day Test between South Africa and India, Durban, December 22, 2010

Look @ the grass :yikes: ******

[The Outsider]

Look @ the grass :yikes: ******

:omg: that's like a golf course! :hysterical: They'll surely clip off some of it before the test.