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

[Shawn]

Pollock is expecting more bounce there.Sanjay said the same.We need Zaheer to step up & also help other bowlers.

[Guest Gunner]

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

http://cricket.ndtv.com/indinsa10/news_story.aspx?ID=SPOEN20100164145&keyword=news&nid=74340 Yea the curator confirms that he will clip a bit off it.

[kabira]

Last time out of form Ntini did us in...If I remember pitch was not that bad last time. SA were 1 down and they had to come back..even then they did not opt for out and out green wicket. I think pitch will have grass, help on first day, like centurion will turn into batting beauty..but it wont be flat like centurion..it will always have help for bowlers who can bend their back.. SA lost her last year and Swann took 9 wickets.. I don't think they are going to give any asistant to spinners here though..

[kabira]

Oh year before that Aussies won there as well....Aussies who were having bad run against South Africa... So lets hope for best..

[The Outsider]

Durban is actually one of the more ordinary venues for South Africa at home, and they have a W/L ratio of only 2 as opposed to 12 at Centurion and 5 at Cape Town, our other test centers in the series. The flip side is that we have been absolutely crap there.

[Andy]

So a Pitch with Tress growing on it awaits us. Bat first score 200 bowl out Opposition for 150 or less and The test will be ours. If its not overcast or a Rain hit day we should bat First only if our Legendary Captaan wins the toss.

[yoda]

So the ultimate form of the game has been reduced to who wins the toss? I hope this pitch doesn't behave like the one in the 1st test. If it is going to be one for the quickies at least give both teams the same chance.

[Zelig]

WTF is wrong with you guys!? Blaming MSD for losing the toss? :banghead:

[Guest Hiten.]

Haha, brilliant. SA will prepare green track to suit their bowlers, but are the first ones to complain about turning tracks (read: unsporting wickets) when India tries to lay them out.

[Fontaine]

I think it's a bit unfair to label SA as complainers. The last time they toured here the groundsmen prepared a turning track for the last test and we won that one and I can't remember them complaining even though it had severe implications on the rankings. Ultimately our bowlers have to show that they are good enough, and mentally strong enough to make use of the conditions by bowling fuller with new ball for swing and mixing it up with effective bouncers. It's not as if these conditions as alien to them. Sreesanth has toured here before and both have been part of the IPL in SA also along with having Gary Kirsten right there who can advise them from years of experience. Not to mention they have Steyn/Morkel showing them exactly how to bowl on these types of conditions. Especially in their first innings, our bowlers need to wake up. I can understand bowlers get tired later in the test but there is no excuse in the first innings for an international fast bowler not to be able to bowl a short sharp bouncer every few overs and bowl with a little more pace and accuracy. If Ishant/Sreesanth can't get wickets on these types of conditions then they have NO business playing cricket, they can piss off and take up dancing full time. At least then we're not forced to watch their pie chucking ineptitude any more.

[The Outsider]

I think it's a bit unfair to label SA as complainers. The last time they toured here the groundsmen prepared a turning track for the last test and we won that one and I can't remember them complaining even though it had severe implications on the rankings.

When was that? If you are talking about the Calcutta wicket, I suggest you watch the match again, because it was not turning appreciably even on day 5. If you are talking about Kanpur, then again you are wrong, because they lodged an official complaint about that wicket.

[zen]

When the going gets tough, the tough gets going :yay:

[Anakin]

It'll backfire this time

[TapSumBong]

When the saffers are bowling, it'd be a fast bowlers paradise with bounce, swing and whatnot. When we are bowling, the pitch would magically convert to be a perfect batsman's paradise. Genious curators them saffers!

[pensionplan]

Durban is actually one of the more ordinary venues for South Africa at home, and they have a W/L ratio of only 2 as opposed to 12 at Centurion and 5 at Cape Town, our other test centers in the series. The flip side is that we have been absolutely crap there.

How much of a crap? In 1997 India was dismissed for 100 and 66 in the two innings though India did reasonably well with the ball where they got rid of SA for below 260 in both innings. And by the way SRT and RD were both in the team for that 1997 Test from the present squad that is touring SA. In 2006 though we fared better but again lost after getting dismissed for 240 and 179 in the two innings after restricting SA reasonably well. And SRT, VVS, RD, VS, MSD, SS, ZK were part of that Test from the present squad. So batting let us down on those two occasions.

[Zap_Brannigan]

In 1997 India was dismissed for 100 and 66 in the two innings though India did reasonably well with the ball where they got rid of SA for below 260 in both innings. And by the way SRT and RD were both in the team for that 1997 Test from the present squad that is touring SA.

Isnt this the match with that famous Donalds inswinger to break Sachin's stump? Hopefully Dhoni doesnt lose the toss, but who am i kidding, he will and we will bat first once again. Atleast if we bowl first, we have a chance of getting 10 wickets.

[Andy]

We'll have to win at all cost. Go India.

[jf1gp_1]

Dhoni will win toss and bowl; Smith will be back before 5th over ; by 14th over prince will be padding up by lunch morkel and styen will be padding up by tea morkel and styen will watching their deliveres being fetched from boundary

[saneindian]

Aane do. I would much rather see a Durban pitch that helps bowlers on all days than a Centurion type track which is heavily loaded towards bowlers on day 1 and then a very good batting wicket from there on.

[Chandan]

When was that? If you are talking about the Calcutta wicket' date=' I suggest you watch the match again, because it was not turning appreciably even on day 5. If you are talking about Kanpur, then again you are wrong, because they lodged an official complaint about that wicket.[/quote'] And in both the tests it was SA who won the toss, not India. Anyway, Dileep Premchandran reported that there were torrential rain, about 12 hours before from now. In all probability, the pitch is going to be damp on the first day but I don't think it'll flatten out like the Centurian pitch did, if the sun comes out later. In any way, we have to accept that our bowling is much much inferior than that of SA, even if they have only Steyn and Morkel and one or two spells of Kallis worth their salt. I had never thought that Sree and Ishant would be soooo clueless on a pitch with bounce and also some movement at least with the new ball.! Maybe I was expecting a bit more from them which was my huge mistake, hence the huge disappointment. We need all our batsmen to fire. And that is why I want Raina out of the side. My only worry is VVS Laxman who didn't seem fully fit and Gambhir who was very unsure against Morkel especially against new ball. If Dhoni loses the toss on this damp track again, we can say the series goodbye, here itself!