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If and hopefully, if they succeed in the draw, it'll be one of the best test match draws I have seen. All relies on Amla.

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AB the one saving south africa here, this is why I think he's the best in the world and root, Smith, Kohli and Williamson are a class below.

Reply 201

Mackay

So, India overcome SA's dogged resistance. Full credit to ABDV, though. He batted for six hours with a swollen thumb, reportedly. India searched deep for a wicket taker, and their number of bowlers stretched to eight at one stage. That's unheard of.

SA will be really disappointed with this series, and they duly ended it in a damp squib fashion too. Their eyes are already on the plane home, you imagine. Five wickets in the final session was not how SA wanted to finish, I think.

Reply 202

sachinisgod

India rise to No 2 in Test rankings!

This is the type of Test matches we need to see, going into the 5th day with any result possible. I want to do away with pointless T20s and ODIs and have more test matches for sure. Countries like SL, WI and NZ need more than 2 matches a series to improve the standard of Test cricket.

#screwIPL :mad2:

Reply 203

robotpenguin

Original post by Mackay

Such a shame. I had high hopes for it. Australia and NZ's was disappointing in terms of a contest, too. I wonder if pitches are being TOO tailored for home sides these days...

Why is it this argument only comes to the fore when pitches are produced with prodigious turn? Surely this argument is just as applicable to pitches manufactured heavily in the favour of seam bowlers? Yet there is no mention of it when a subcontinent team travels abroad and struggles to build totals on exactly those kinds of pitches. When Pakistan tour England next summer, you can bet your bottom dollar that those pitches will be green as anything with no help whatsoever for spin bowlers, and the Pakistani batsmen will struggle. However, their will be no mention of the way this pitches have been created, as all the focus will be on the failures of the Pakistani batting contingent. This is not so much a response to the recently concluded series between India and South Africa, but just in general. Yes, some pitches in the subcontinent are hard to bat on, but that is also the case for pitches outside the subcontinent. In my opinion, the current failures of South Africa in India and England in the UAE are down to this new generation of players who are playing the game in 'new' way. Instead of trying to score quickly and attack the bowlers, show some respect, rotate the strike and earn your runs. And when they got bowled out playing paddle sweeps or cross batted shots, they have the cheek to blame the pitch. It's the players, not the pitches that need to be looked at.

Reply 204

Mackay

Original post by robotpenguin

Believe me, I was just as critical during the Ashes Tests. I don't like it for seam bowlers either.

Reply 205

moment of truth

Really happy with the test series victory. I know the pitches were in our favour, but it still took some really good performances to win. SA were, of course, below par with only ABDV standing up against our bowling attack. He again showed why he is the best batsman in the world and a class above everyone else today with his innings. You would feel that they went too defensive especially with basically 2 days to play, but fair play to them for nearly making it. A special mention to the Indian bowlers who stuck to their task and eventually bowled them all out. Hopefully Yadav will become a better bowler under Kohli than he was under Dhoni.

Still have a few problems with our batting, Dhawan spent quite a lot of time at the crease without going on to make a biggie, Rohit flopped again with only Pujara, Vijay, Rahane and Kohli performing at different times during the series. I feel like Rohit should lose his place in the test side and we could bring in Rahul for Dhawan, too.

We go to Australia for an ODI and T20 series at the end of December which will be interesting, but I don't really know why we are going there to be honest.

Reply 206

Mackay

SA really do deserve credit for how they've played in the last 48 hours, but it was a shambolic series for hem really. Credit to India, whose bowlers were supreme. Questions remain over the batting lineup, though.

I see England Lions have lost their first Tour match in the T20s in Pakistan despite Dawid Malan's half-century.

Reply 207

Enginerd.

Original post by sachinisgod

I doubt a SA win was on the cards...

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(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 208

Mackay

Sri Lanka wicketkeeper Kusal Perera has been sent home from their tour of New Zealand after testing positive for a banned substance.

Reply 209

tazza ma razza

Original post by Mackay

Sri Lanka wicketkeeper Kusal Perera has been sent home from their tour of New Zealand after testing positive for a banned substance.

Will they not play Chandimal as keeper now?

Reply 210

Mackay

Original post by tazza ma razza

Will they not play Chandimal as keeper now?

Definitely.

Sri Lanka in NZ will be decent entertainment, but I'm intrigued by the Windies taking on the Baggy Greens personally. It's hard to quantify just how big this series is for the Windies.

Since 2000, the West Indies have won just 14 of their 132 matches against the top eight Test sides - and 80 have been lost. That's a remarkably bad statistic from their point of view.

Windies cricket is in dire straits.

Reply 211

moment of truth

Original post by Mackay

Both will be one sided, in my opinion. Both WI and SL have been struggling with their test sides recently and I can see them being thoroughly outplayed by AUS and NZ.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 212

Mackay

Original post by moment of truth

Both will be one sides, in my opinion. Both WI and SL have been struggling with their test sides recently and I can see them being thoroughly outplayed by AUS and NZ.

Definitely.

The issues with Windies cricket goes deeper than on the field, too. There are strengthening rumours of a breakaway between the islands.

Not to mention that central contracts are non-existent.

Reply 213

moment of truth

Original post by Mackay

Exactly. They really should sort it out. Cricket is much better when WI are a stronger team. They do have some good players but they aren't consistent and they really struggle as a result.

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Reply 214

Mackay

Original post by moment of truth

I do worry the chasm between the Big Three and everybody else is widening. Of course, SA and NZ are both brilliant teams, but the money and power the Big Three yield in terms of TV revenue and allure is just so great.

I think it's telling that the Windies have only played six Tests in Australia since 2000.

No wonder the likes of Gayle opts for lucrative T20 contracts in blockbuster competitions. That's obviously where he's going to test himself at the highest level. Not in Tests against Bangladesh on dry, cardboard pitches.

Reply 215

Kenan and Kel

Surprised more bowlers aren't juicing tbh. Can turn a county bowler into an international bowler. Or a good bowler into a great one.

Reply 216

Angry cucumber

Original post by Kenan and Kel

Surprised more bowlers aren't juicing tbh. Can turn a county bowler into an international bowler. Or a good bowler into a great one.

They are, they just are using more designer drugs or using regimes designed to bypass doping

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Reply 217

Kenan and Kel

Original post by Angry cucumber

They are, they just are using more designer drugs or using regimes designed to bypass doping

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Probably. I'd like to think that if I was a pro cricketer, I wouldn't juice because I have too much love/respect for the game. But in all honestly. the juice could be the difference between being a standard county bowler and getting a $1m contract in the IPL ffs.

Reply 218

moment of truth

Original post by Mackay

Possibly. I do think that both NZ and SA will be close to the big three and get enough series against them, although a team like NZ doesn't get a full series (3 or 4 tests) enough which is annoying.

WI are a good T20 team and have a good chance for the WT20 next year, but they really need to focus on the longer format, although you can understand why they don't (like you said).

In other news, heard that Graeme Smith might make a comeback. After watching SA fail against India he probably feels like they need some more experience in the team.

Reply 219

Mackay

And just like that, Curtly Ambrose - who is with the Windies as a bowling advisor - reckons they can cause an upset down under.

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/dec/08/australia-west-indies-test-series-curtly-ambrose

Wishful thinking, Curtly.