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India tour of South Africa (2023-24)

FearlessRoar said:
Will it be a different story for India this time?

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I think India can make history this time because South Africa is lacking a pool of talent. They are not the same South Africans they used to be. To be honest, they don't have any good batters in their Test side. Dean Elgar is about to retire after this series.
 
Virat Kohli to join team in South Africa just before the commencement of Boxing day test against South Africa.

Virat Kohli has returned home from South Africa for personal reasons, but is likely to rejoin the Test squad ahead of the Boxing Day Test in Centurion.
 
South Africa Cricket team coach Shukri Conrad in the press conference before the match said:

"They will be fresh and firing (Rabada and Ngidi). I am always a firm believer of freshness."

"I am not bothered that they will be undercooked for the game."

“It would have been ideal had they got some mileage in the legs by playing first-class matches but that’s life. You have got to find a way. But I am not bothered that they will be undercooked for the game."

“KG (Rabada) and Lungi are still in the 15-member squad and available for selection. We will make that decision tomorrow. Hopefully, tomorrow morning we will have a full squad of 15 to select from."
 
MP2011 said:
lol Bharat comes back after getting dumped.

If Kishan wasn't available why didn't they opt for someone else especially when Bharat was dumped already. Haven't they seen how timid cricketer Bharat is!
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Bharat is a mental midget in the mould of klrahul. Cant believe they picked him again. Ind had so many other options. Samson, jeetesh etc. Bhaeat is such a timid player - doesn't inspire confidence behind the stumps and is a tuk tuk blocker
 
Useless T20 and ODI series are over. The real battle begins now (Test series).

South Africa are favorites.
 
deltexas said:
Bharat is a mental midget in the mould of klrahul. Cant believe they picked him again. Ind had so many other options. Samson, jeetesh etc. Bhaeat is such a timid player - doesn't inspire confidence behind the stumps and is a tuk tuk blocker
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upendra yadav is doing well in Indian domestic cricket selectors should give him a chance
 
MP2011 said:
Good riddance. He is a nothing batsman. Adds nothing to any of our squads.
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India needed to reinvent their T20 style after the WC debacle last year. And who did they choose to open with? This guy Gaekwad. Doesn't make sense at all.
 
India had quiet a few near misses. Last time should have won. KL Rahul's dimwit captaincy let India down. Also Siraj breaking down middle of the match didn't help India either. Also Kohli was in atrocious form last time.
 
In the pre-match press conference, Indian head coach Rahul Dravid said:

"We have been coming here since 1992, played some good cricket, won some Test matches and drawn some. But we are yet to win a Test series. We had our share of opportunities to do so but could not. This is a short series and we will have less amount of time to bounce back. We will try to play well in the series. We have done well in patches here (in SA). This will give us confidence that we can do well in South African conditions."

"It was a disappointment (WC loss) but you have to move on since there was an important series coming up. All these matches count towards our chances of qualifying for another ICC event final in 2025. We do not have much time to stay down all the time. You have to pick yourself up. Guys have done that really well. They are all in a great spirits and excited to play in this series. It is a great place to play Test cricket."

"Players do not need motivation to play for India. I do not need to motivate them either. My job is to give them the right environment, make sure they practice well, and make sure we follow the right processes. We should tick all the boxes mentally, physically and tactically so that we give ourselves the best chance to succeed."

"A big challenge is, as of late, the wickets are bouncy, they have a lot of seam. It makes batting difficult. Wickets are result-oriented. You can go backwards if you lose even one session. Even if you lose a session, you should be able to control the fall of wickets, fight back and develop partnerships. Extra 40-50 runs are needed here, since all 20 wickets fall here. Whichever team bats better, will win the series."

"It has been one of the toughest countries statistically. But we have put in some good performances. It is not impossible to do well here. The bounce here tends to be more variable than in other places, with not much swing as much as England, and pace as much as Australia. It has been a challenging place for Indian batters, but we have put on some fine performances. We have got the quality and experience to do well this time."

"It is an exciting challenge (to keep wickets) and an opportunity for him to do something different. With Ishan Kishan not being around. We have had discussions with KL Rahul. He is confident and keen to give it a chance. He has done so in ODIs really well, which is a tough task in itself. Over the last five-to-six months, he has done a lot of keeping. He has prepared really well. There is going to be more pace bowling than spin bowling here, it will ease him into that role."

"We encourage players to play the way they feel comfortable in. But also, they have to keep tactics and conditions in mind that come with playing in South Africa. There has to be a balance between expressing yourself and making smart decisions."

"We will see what the wicket looks like, what the weather will be like on the morning of the match. When you come to play, you look at what is above you and below you. We will take the decision accordingly. We have the balance and depth needed. We can play four seamers, three seamers and two spinners and react according to the weather. We look at the forecast, it keeps changing a lot too."
 
Without Rishabh Pant this is only half a side. That guy won/saved more tests for India than most guys in Indian history in SENA. This Bharat is not even 10% as good as Pant. It is almost like playing with 10 batsmen. Should KL keep we are yet to see how good he can be in Tests with respect to keeping.
 
As expected, a very spicy pitch awaits both teams (add to that overcast weather for the 1st two days of the test means we could be in for a 3-day test match with Pacers dominating).

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avidlearner said:
As expected, a very spicy pitch awaits both teams (add to that overcast weather for the 1st two days of the test means we could be in for a 3-day test match with Pacers dominating).

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These spicy fast pitches actually give Ind better chance of winning. Brings Ind pacers into the game as the Ind batsmen are not capable of making 400+ totals on good sporting tracks
 
Cricket Warrior said:
it seems like there is lot of moisture on the wicket.

Not good for the side who will bat first.
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Yep, whoever wins the toss will have a distinct advantage. But saying that I also believe these SA pitches usually become flatter as the game progresses (IIRC, in our last tour we failed to defend decent enough 2nd inning totals twice with a near full-strength bowling attack of ours as the pitch got eased out by 3rd day).

deltexas said:
These spicy fast pitches actually give Ind better chance of winning. Brings Ind pacers into the game as the Ind batsmen are not capable of making 400+ totals on good sporting tracks
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Agreed. A score of 300 (who will score the bulk of these, I am not too sure) in our 1st inning will certainly reduce the risk to a great extent.
 
SA pitches sometime behave like NZ pitches. Day 5 will be the best time to bat on. There was one match where SA had to chase 458 to win on day 5. Pitch absolutely became flat. There was a marathon partnership between AB and Faf that thwarted India's win.
 
I don't know which clown in BCCI brought back KS Bharat to the team. He will not play, but the chance should have been given to Samson or Jeetesh.
 
Champ_Pal said:
I don't know which clown in BCCI brought back KS Bharat to the team. He will not play, but the chance should have been given to Samson or Jeetesh.
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That guy was a serious handicap in the WTC final. As it is we went with zero preparation. Then we lost Rishabh.
 
jnaveen1980 said:
Without Rishabh Pant this is only half a side. That guy won/saved more tests for India than most guys in Indian history in SENA. This Bharat is not even 10% as good as Pant. It is almost like playing with 10 batsmen. Should KL keep we are yet to see how good he can be in Tests with respect to keeping.
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Rahul is a part time keeper no team brings part time keeper in test matches
 
indian team will miss pant the batsmen in this test series and England test series also as a fan i am eagerly waiting for pant return
 
Bavuma understands the challenges of a ‘determined’ India

South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma discussed the unique challenges that come with playing India at home.

Despite their improved run away from home in recent years, India haven’t won a Test series in South Africa. Overall, the Men in Blue have won only four Tests in the country, while they have lost 12 and drawn seven.

South Africa captain Bavuma was well aware of his side’s record against India. Speaking ahead of the first Test, Bavuma said,

“There's a lot of pride attached to that we’ve been able to keep that record [of not being defeated by India at home] intact as a South African team. All of us as players also feel that. But we understand playing against India comes with certain challenges and it's those types of challenges we would like to focus on.”

He went on to discuss the challenges in detail. These included the added scrutiny when they played against India and the skill set possessed by the subcontinental side.

“Playing against India comes with a lot more eyes and a lot more scrutiny in terms of everything we do. So it's accepting that. And the other, more obvious one, is the skill factor on the field.

“For me as a batter, the bowlers are going to put you under pressure, and their batting line-up as well, they've got renowned Test players and guys who performed in all conditions.

“They are a determined team as well, who want to be able to say they've won a Test series here in South Africa so with that extra bit of drive and motivation, we'll really need to be at our best.”

Though they won the opening Test during their last tour in the 2021/22 season, the hosts fought back to win the series 2-1. Backed by a strong pace attack, featuring the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Shardul Thakur, India will once more look to get the better of Proteas.

Bavuma rated India’s pace attack highly and believed that the series would be decided based on which batting lineup overcame the circumstances better.

“We understand conditions a lot better so you'd expect us to adapt a lot better but their bowling is quite strong. The fact that they've been able to achieve such success is because of their bowling attack and that kind of nullifies the advantage we have. It's more between the batters and how the batters take on that challenge.”

The first Test between India and South Africa starts on Boxing Day in Centurion.

Source : ICC
 
India's skipper, Rohit Sharma, spoke to the media on the eve of the first Test match against South Africa. In the pre-match press conference, he discussed Mohammed Shami:

"What he (Mohammed Shami) has done for our team over the years, obviously it's a big miss but someone will come in place of him, try and fill in that role and it will not be easy but we have confidence."
 
avidlearner said:
Yep, whoever wins the toss will have a distinct advantage. But saying that I also believe these SA pitches usually become flatter as the game progresses (IIRC, in our last tour we failed to defend decent enough 2nd inning totals twice with a near full-strength bowling attack of ours as the pitch got eased out by 3rd day).
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History repeats.

Not only the pitch has eased up quite a bit but our bowling attack is even more toothless than what it was in our last tour.

Torrid time continues!
 
As per reports, with Temba Bavuma ruled out with injury, Dean Elgar steps in as the captain for South Africa in the upcoming 2nd Test against India, marking his final appearance in Test cricket as well.
 
India’s Tour of South Africa update:

Avesh Khan added to India’s squad for 2nd Test

The Men’s Selection Committee has named Mr Avesh Khan as a replacement for Mr Mohd. Shami for the second Test against South Africa to be played from 3rd-7th January 2024 in Cape Town.

India’s squad for 2nd Test: India’s squad for Tests: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Prasidh Krishna, KS Bharat (wk), Abhimanyu Easwaran, Avesh Khan​
 
BouncerGuy said:
India’s Tour of South Africa update:

Avesh Khan added to India’s squad for 2nd Test

The Men’s Selection Committee has named Mr Avesh Khan as a replacement for Mr Mohd. Shami for the second Test against South Africa to be played from 3rd-7th January 2024 in Cape Town.

India’s squad for 2nd Test: India’s squad for Tests: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Prasidh Krishna, KS Bharat (wk), Abhimanyu Easwaran, Avesh Khan​
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What happen to Shammi ? Avesh Khan sucks big time.
 
Such a shame there isn’t a 3rd Test.

South Africa v India is always a good series.

Test cricket very sadly at the back of the queue.
 
James said:
Such a shame there isn’t a 3rd Test.

South Africa v India is always a good series.

Test cricket very sadly at the back of the queue.
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Totally agreed.

Ideally a 3 test series should be the minimum for WTC cycle between any of the top 5 ranked teams.

Many ignorant fans in social media and some half-knowledgable journalists will blame it on BCCI (the villain of Cricket world, according to many non Indian cricket fans and media people). But the reality behind this reduction is more to do with SA cricket board’s preference for running their SA20 tournament right after the new year’s test and their priority for limited overs cricket with India than an extra test match as it provides more revenue for them.
 
avidlearner said:
Totally agreed.

Ideally a 3 test series should be the minimum for WTC cycle between any of the top 5 ranked teams.

Many ignorant fans in social media and some half-knowledgable journalists will blame it on BCCI (the villain of Cricket world, according to many non Indian cricket fans and media people). But the reality behind this reduction is more to do with SA cricket board’s preference for running their SA20 tournament right after the new year’s test and their priority for limited overs cricket with India than an extra test match as it provides more revenue for them.
Click to expand...

SA cricket have definitely created this scenario. Dean Elgar is retiring next week specifically because SA aren’t playing enough Tests and he finds it pointless carrying on. I totally get that.
 
Axar batting well in a match if jadeja not recovered then India should pick axar ashwin is useless in sena
 
India's legendary batter, Sunil Gavaskar, while speaking on a local Indian sports channel, said:

"The reasons are straightforward - you didn't play any matches here. If you straightaway play Test matches, it doesn't work out. Yes, you sent the India A team. The India A team should actually come before the tour."

"You need to play practice matches after coming here. Intra-squad is a joke because would your fast bowlers bowl extremely fast to your batters, would they bowl bouncers, as they would be scared about injuring their batters."

"So it's better to play against the South Africa A team or play two or three matches against a county or a state. The schedule that is made these days, where you play only Test matches with a gap of seven days in between - remove the 'workload' word from Indian cricket's dictionary."

"Nothing happens to senior cricketers. They will play the second, third and fourth match even if they fail. Practice matches are necessary for the young players. If you want, you can ask your senior players to come at ease, they can come a day before the Test match, but you need to arrange practice matches for the young players."
 
Dinesh Karthik, while speaking on a sports show, said:

"I don't think it's about not being ready in red ball cricket. But I'll definitely put it down to lack of skill. There are certain areas, which are gaping holes in the current Indian team. The two big areas for me are the 3rd and 4th medium pacers and the middle order batting. This is not the Indian team that we're used to and this is not the standard that they've set over a period of time."

"Shardul and Prasidh definitely need to up their game. I think Rohit was very kind to them when he said that they're young bowlers. But Shardul was there at the previous series as well. He did pretty well. But this time, it was a very ordinary performance. Prasidh Krishna is young bowler and it shows that he doesn't have too much first-class experience. He was giving away one too many boundary balls. There wasn't any control and that's never a good sign in Test cricket."
 
Legendary India cricketer Ravi Shastri blasted the scheduling of the India-South Africa Test series as he called the two-match series a "waste of time". South Africa outplayed India completely in the first Test while the Rohit Sharma-led side claimed a historic win in the second Test match that lasted for just 107 overs. Shastri said on commentary that India should focus on playing either 'T20Is and Test matches or ODIs and Test matches' while touring and just refuse to play any two-match Test series in the future.

“After watching this Test series, the Indian cricket establishment should make sure to never play just two Tests. If some country invites you for a two-Test series, say, ‘We won't go'. Two-Test match series are a waste of time. It's neither here nor there. Focus should be on either playing T20Is and Test matches or ODIs and Test matches. They could have easily played three T20Is and three Tests," Shastri said on Star Sports.

Meanwhile, India skipper Rohit Sharma called out the International Cricket Council (ICC) as well as the match referees over the standard of rating pitches after the second Test.

The second Test at Newlands, saw India claiming a seven-wicket win with a total of 642 deliveries bowled in both innings. The Test was the shortest in the history of red-ball cricket, eclipsing the previous shortest involving Australia and South Africa in 1932 in Melbourne (656).

After winning the shortest Test in history, Rohit opened up on the criticism of some Indian pitches for being rank turners favouring the hosts.

"I mean, we saw what happened in this match, how the pitch played and stuff like that. I honestly don't mind playing on pitches like this. As long as everyone keeps their mouth shut in India and don't talk too much about Indian pitches, honestly," Rohit said as quoted from ESPNcricinfo.

"Because you come here [in Test cricket] to challenge yourself. Yes, it is dangerous. It is challenging. So, and when people come to India, it is again pretty challenging as well. Look, when you are here to play Test cricket, we talk about Test cricket, the ultimate prize, Test cricket being the pinnacle and stuff like that. I think it's important that we also stand by it."

When you are put up against, a challenge like that, you come and face it. That's what happens in India, but, in India on day one, if the pitch starts turning, people start talking about 'Puff of dust! Puff of dust!' There's so much crack here on the pitch. People are not looking at that," Rohit added.

NDTV
 
FearlessRoar said:
Legendary India cricketer Ravi Shastri blasted the scheduling of the India-South Africa Test series as he called the two-match series a "waste of time". South Africa outplayed India completely in the first Test while the Rohit Sharma-led side claimed a historic win in the second Test match that lasted for just 107 overs. Shastri said on commentary that India should focus on playing either 'T20Is and Test matches or ODIs and Test matches' while touring and just refuse to play any two-match Test series in the future.

“After watching this Test series, the Indian cricket establishment should make sure to never play just two Tests. If some country invites you for a two-Test series, say, ‘We won't go'. Two-Test match series are a waste of time. It's neither here nor there. Focus should be on either playing T20Is and Test matches or ODIs and Test matches. They could have easily played three T20Is and three Tests," Shastri said on Star Sports.

Meanwhile, India skipper Rohit Sharma called out the International Cricket Council (ICC) as well as the match referees over the standard of rating pitches after the second Test.

The second Test at Newlands, saw India claiming a seven-wicket win with a total of 642 deliveries bowled in both innings. The Test was the shortest in the history of red-ball cricket, eclipsing the previous shortest involving Australia and South Africa in 1932 in Melbourne (656).

After winning the shortest Test in history, Rohit opened up on the criticism of some Indian pitches for being rank turners favouring the hosts.

"I mean, we saw what happened in this match, how the pitch played and stuff like that. I honestly don't mind playing on pitches like this. As long as everyone keeps their mouth shut in India and don't talk too much about Indian pitches, honestly," Rohit said as quoted from ESPNcricinfo.

"Because you come here [in Test cricket] to challenge yourself. Yes, it is dangerous. It is challenging. So, and when people come to India, it is again pretty challenging as well. Look, when you are here to play Test cricket, we talk about Test cricket, the ultimate prize, Test cricket being the pinnacle and stuff like that. I think it's important that we also stand by it."

When you are put up against, a challenge like that, you come and face it. That's what happens in India, but, in India on day one, if the pitch starts turning, people start talking about 'Puff of dust! Puff of dust!' There's so much crack here on the pitch. People are not looking at that," Rohit added.

NDTV
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Shastri is spot on here. There is no point in playing 2 tests.
 
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