What target can India set?

[I6MTW]

and our bowlers are good enough to make chris martin a batting allrounder :giggle:

That's after 50-60 overs. Our bowlers are good with the new ball.

[CSK Fan]

Pitch is doing a bit only in the morning session. At least 300 needed

[Pagalpanti]

260 lead with 8 wickets(4 wickets literally can't expect even 10 runs from last 3). We should manage 100 more unless we have a collapse somewhere around. 350+ is seriously good total on this ground.

[Cricketics]

260 lead with 8 wickets(4 wickets literally can't expect even 10 runs from last 3). We should manage 100 more unless we have a collapse somewhere around. 350+ is seriously good total on this ground.

With 224 and not includign the lead. we should definitely add atleast 150+ from here on since we know Rohit, Dhoni, Rahane and Ashwin are yet to come. Which would mean we are putting South Africa to chase atleast 415+. That's ideal.

[rkt.india]

Pitch is getting flat, need big score.

[Pagalpanti]

Pitch is getting flat' date=' need big score.[/quote'] Not really, every over there have been few unplayable deliveries. SA aren't reversing and if you have an old ball in SA which does nothing you're in for a trouble.

[PAA-G]

Playout 2morrows session1 without much damage n runs in this sesssion dont matter wkts do....go hammer tongs like t20 in second session.....one of the notouts to see through until inns end or declared.....give them a total of 450 to win !!!

[zep1706]

I checked the weather there is a decent chance of rain on both tomorrow and day after. That must be accounted for too. The last thing you would want is SA escaping due to rain. Ideally you would want them to be on the field for at least 10 overs after lunch. But given the chance of rain I say score as many as we can in the first session and then let them bat out 5 sessions. A target of 400+ would be great.

[Pagalpanti]

I checked the weather there is a decent chance of rain on both tomorrow and day after. That must be accounted for too. The last thing you would want is SA escaping due to rain. Ideally you would want them to be on the field for at least 10 overs after lunch. But given the chance of rain I say score as many as we can in the first session and then let them bat out 5 sessions. A target of 400+ would be great.

Morning session usually has around 25 overs. India should consolidate first 10 overs with new ball due after 2 overs. And then target last 10-15 overs. If we manage even 4 rpo throughout the session, we'll end up with 400+ lead.

[zep1706]

Morning session usually has around 25 overs. India should consolidate first 10 overs with new ball due after 2 overs. And then target last 10-15 overs. If we manage even 4 rpo throughout the session' date=' we'll end up with 400+ lead.[/quote'] Yeah but playing 10 overs after lunch is generally effective to unsettle their openers. It's not always about the runs you score. You don't want them to take a break and come back fresh. Let them keep guessing and then declare suddenly giving them minimum time in between innings to settle down. That is the ideal situation irrespective of how many you score in the first session. But I'm not sure India can afford to take that chance. BTW we also have a new ball to deal with pretty early in the first session.

[carnish]

We need to give them nothing less than 450 to chase .. If we fail to put up a target of 450, chances are that with the pitch flattening up we might just loose the match.

[PAA-G]

We need to give them nothing less than 450 to chase .. If we fail to put up a target of 450' date=' chances are that with the pitch flattening up we might just loose the match.[/quote'] its just very true

[NareshK]

Not really' date=' every over there have been few unplayable deliveries. SA aren't reversing and if you have an old ball in SA which does nothing you're in for a trouble.[/quote'] This.

[rkt.india]

Yes a bigger target will give Dhoni a bit more leeway to keep fielders in attacking positions at most times. Need to have at least 120-125 overs of bowling to them.

[Muloghonto]

lead already at 300+. we need to set them between 400 and 430. What we must do is declare around 20-30 minutes after lunch ( if we last that long). There is rain in the predictions of 5th day evening, this is a golden chance to go for the kill-shot and win a test series in south africa.

[PAA-G]

lead already at 300 . we need to set them between 400 and 430. What we must do is declare around 20-30 minutes after lunch ( if we last that long). There is rain in the predictions of 5th day evening' date=' this is a golden chance to go for the kill-shot and win a test series in south africa.[/quote'] isnt 430 low.....when an out of form england could score 353 agst the aussie attack(johnson harris at perth) then we cant underestimate this topnotch saf line up.....devills,amla smith,kallis are big game players.....n their batting run deep till philander at 8

[Lord]

isnt 430 low.....when an out of form england could score 353 agst the aussie attack(johnson harris at perth) then we cant underestimate this topnotch saf line up.....devills' date='amla smith,kallis are big game players.....n their batting run deep till philander at 8[/quote'] lol if we are not confident of defending 430 in these conditions,we'll never be

[Pagalpanti]

I believe many people r thinking pitch has flattened out cuz these 2 are batting so easily. Trust me this pitch has enough to skittle them by early morning tomorrow if we bowl well. I don't see them going past 250 under the pressure of saving this test. Moreover India got reverse swing going for them which SA haven't managed.

[PAA-G]

lol if we are not confident of defending 430 in these conditions' date='we'll never be[/quote'] when ishant can get hit for 30 in an over from faulkner....loose the match.....one is bound 2 lose confidence!!!

[Muloghonto]

isnt 430 low.....when an out of form england could score 353 agst the aussie attack(johnson harris at perth) then we cant underestimate this topnotch saf line up.....devills' date='amla smith,kallis are big game players.....n their batting run deep till philander at 8[/quote'] Anything more than 400-430 a target will require a South Africa collapse for us to win the match. Barring stunning first innings capitulations, you very rarely have the luxury of setting 450-500 run target and have the time to get 10 wickets with an average bowling unit. Look at it this way. You set South Africa 420 from 140 overs or so. Required Run Rate around 3, 4.5 sessions to get. Its not outside the realms of possibility. Maybe the Saffies will go for it and maybe they will lose the top order or middle order going for the target. Maybe they will chase it down. You cannot win matches like these overseas without taking a couple of risks. But set them 450-470 and give them 4 sessions and they will simply shut shop and look to survive- something that has cost India many an overseas victory. You may lose once in a while doing this, but you wont win very often overseas by first putting up a total that is so safe that the opposition will simply play for a draw. Sydney 2004 was such an instance.