India v South Africa | 1st Test | Nagpur | 6-10 Feb '10

[bantu]

I'd say SA > Ind > Aus at the moment.

Momo ......do you really think that ? I am surprised.........pleasantly ofcourse

 

[Momo]

Momo ......do you really think that ? I am surprised.........pleasantly ofcourse

We just played Australia and if it was India or SA, they would have thrashed Australia. Just imagine that Hauritz is their best spinner.

I have no doubt that Australia is at their weakest in years and India is a pretty strong side never mind today's defeat. With Dravid and Laxman back, they are unbeatable in terms of batting.

Their bowling is weak, no doubt, but in Zaheer they have a world class bowler. And with that kind of batting, it's difficult to lose inspite of the weak bowling.

 

[Robert]

Very well done SA - you are the true champions in tests at present.

 

[Random Aussie]

I'd say SA > Ind > Aus at the moment.

Yep. SA are a long way in front of us.

Nice to see expose India here, we are all looking forward to a sporting track for the next match.

 

[Muhammad]

Very well done SA - you are the true champions in tests at present.

Remeber it was only a few weeks ago that England thrashed SA in their own backyard.

I honestly believe England have a great chance of doing well in the subcontinent in the coming weeks.

 

[bantu]

Yep. SA are a long way in front of us.

Nice to see expose India here, we are all looking forward to a sporting track for the next match.

Ofcourse

 

[dani2k]

Yep. SA are a long way in front of us.

Nice to see expose India here, we are all looking forward to a sporting track for the next match.

Naah mate. We intend to return the same favor that SA gave Eng expect a rank turner.

 

[bantu]

Remeber it was only a few weeks ago that England almost thrashed SA in their own backyard.

I honestly believe England have a great chance of doing well in the subcontinent in the coming weeks.

that looks better

 

[Asok Chaktra]

Yep. SA are a long way in front of us.

Nice to see expose India here, we are all looking forward to a sporting track for the next match.

Indians were unlucky with their team selection. A proper batsman in place of saha could have helped indian cause a lot. Sad to miss 3 of your best batsmen due to injuries + rohit sharma. It was india's fate to lose this match, wait and see what happens at eden.

 

[bantu]

Indians were unlucky with their team selection. A proper batsman in place of saha could have helped indian cause a lot. Sad to miss 3 of your best batsmen due to injuries + rohit sharma. It was india's fate to lose this match, wait and see what happens at eden.

You make your own luck and decide your own fate..........

 

[dani2k]

Indians were unlucky with their team selection. A proper batsman in place of saha could have helped indian cause a lot. Sad to miss 3 of your best batsmen due to injuries + rohit sharma. It was india's fate to lose this match, wait and see what happens at eden.

Mate. We need to learn this lesson - when you are #1 (or want to be #1) there are no excuses. Regardless of the fact that India didnt have a full strength team, SA deserved to win by thoroughly outplaying us. So credit where it is due.

As far as India goes - we need to go back, lick our wounds, look at the positives from this match, stratetigize, regroup and attack again. Losing 0-1 or 0-2 doesnt make much of a difference but winning the next test match definitely counts. All guns blazing!

 

[Keith]

Indians were unlucky with their team selection. A proper batsman in place of saha could have helped indian cause a lot. Sad to miss 3 of your best batsmen due to injuries + rohit sharma. It was india's fate to lose this match, wait and see what happens at eden.

You make your own luck, as stated by someone earlier. SA can opnly play against the side that faces them in a match. It was the best bunch that India could get together for this match.

Thing about this victory (3rd innings victory by SA in India, the other 2 must have been "lucky" as well then?) is that Sa have managed to, at worst, draw another test series in India. Add a test series victory in India as well and the Saffers have not done too badly over there, with asll the luck ofcourse!!!!

When was the last time India won or drew a test series in SA?

 

[dani2k]

^^Yup. That is true. SA has been the best touring side to India in the last decade. And hopefully India would open their account in SA by doing well this (our) winter

 

[Amjid Javed]

Congrats S.A on excellent 1st test win. I guess we can expect a moon dust pitch with India playing 4 spinners in 2nd test

 

[Amjid Javed]

S.A record in India and in Asia in general In tests is an excellent one!

 

[Jo_Don]

Remeber it was only a few weeks ago that England thrashed SA in their own backyard.

I honestly believe England have a great chance of doing well in the subcontinent in the coming weeks.

How did they thrash SA at home? They desperately held on for a draw with their last wicket remaining in two matches, they won a match and SA won a match. SA could have won that series 3-1, and you'd be fooling yourself if you think that the 1-1 result was a fair reflection of both teams performances.

India may have made that mistake by judging SA to be about equal to England, and now they've paid the price for it.

Anyway it appears as if SA really is India's bogey team. I hope they lift themselves and deliver a better performance in the next test.

 

[Muhammad]

How did they thrash SA at home? They desperately held on for a draw with their last wicket remaining in two matches, they won a match and SA won a match. SA could have won that series 3-1, and you'd be fooling yourself if you think that the 1-1 result was a fair reflection of both teams performances.

India may have made that mistake by judging SA to be about equal to England, and now they've paid the price for it.

Anyway it appears as if SA really is India's bogey team. I hope they lift themselves and deliver a better performance in the next test.

I should've perhaps been clearer, I meant they thrashed them in a test match ie. second test.

It was quite some beating too, seems light years ago now.

 

[Jo_Don]

I should've perhaps been clearer, I meant they thrashed them in a test match ie. second test.

It was quite some beating too, seems light years ago now.

Yeah it was a shocking defeat lol, but the poms got thrashed in the last test too.

 

[Rickz]

Congrats to South Africa for a comprehensive win. They outplayed us in all departments. I am hoping for a better performance by India in the next test.

 

[Keith]

Congrats to South Africa for a comprehensive win. They outplayed us in all departments. I am hoping for a better performance by India in the next test.

Me too mate.

I hope that the track is going to be a sporty one though?

 

[Geordie Ahmed]

Congrats to SA - they fully deserved the win. They were the better team by a country mile

Watching the match you would not have thought it was the number 1 + 2 rank sides playing each other - and that it was the number 2 side that was doing the hammering

 

[Inswinger]

What's up with all these one sided matches of late?

 

[Amjid Javed]

I guess in Short term india will be looking to get there big guns back for 2nd tests and try and level series.

Going foward they will have some gapping big holes to fill in their powerful middle order!

 

[Cryin Out Loud]

Well done SA! fair square and away a comprehensive win by a clearly superior team.

 

[Sohaib-789]

well played steyn kallis and amla.

 

[Muhammad]

Seriously this was an awesome effort from SA, to defeat the greatest side in history on their own patch by an innings is an achievement that I think will never be bettered.

 

[Uncle Sam]

319 in the second innings against such an intensified bowling attack? I say, India still didn't do as bad as Pakistan batting would have done against an in form steyn, Harris and Parnell.
Pakistan would have been "dhair" under 200 I bet.

 

[Inswinger]

319 in the second innings against such an intensified bowling attack? I say, India still didn't do as bad as Pakistan batting would have done against an in form steyn, Harris and Parnell.
Pakistan would have been "dhair" under 200 I bet.

It was a 500+ pitch...

 

[Muhammad]

It was a 500+ pitch...

Yes and India scored 552 runs in the match, so they did well.

 

[Uncle Sam]

It was a 500+ pitch...

And you will still live in the fantasy of having Pakistan play against THIS SA attack and score 500 + ?

 

[srg]

This is a real good batting track. Steyn, imo, should be the MoM, not Amla. Amla and Kallis played the most boring cricket I've seen in recent times. Although their contribution are worthy of contending for the award, steyn made all the difference on this track.

 

[OZGOD]

Wow, what a caning. It was a good fighting, if ultimately futile, knock from Tendy. He needed to score 200 today and bat till stumps, but hard when your teammates are falling like ninepins at the other end.

 

[Robert]

Remeber it was only a few weeks ago that England thrashed SA in their own backyard.

Hmm, we trashed them in one test but otherwise were clinging on by our fingernails!

I honestly believe England have a great chance of doing well in the subcontinent in the coming weeks.

I expect them to beat Bangaldesh 2-0. England have not won in Pakistan since 2000, or in India since 1985.

 

[abdul2009]

This is a real good batting track. Steyn, imo, should be the MoM, not Amla. Amla and Kallis played the most boring cricket I've seen in recent times. Although their contribution are worthy of contending for the award, steyn made all the difference on this track.

yes,,, i completely agree with you.

who is that idiot who gave amla the MOTM? does he have a cricketing brain? Steyn should have felt discouraged and disappointed by this..

What more can a bowler do?

 

[Sledger]

Was absolutely retarded to give Amla the award over Steyn.

 

[d0gers]

Was absolutely retarded to give Amla the award over Steyn.

Actually I'm not so sure. Amla and Kallis set it up for South Africa. They enabled Steyn to be able to bowl without worry of runs, which is when an attacking fast bowler is at his best. If South Africa had been bowled out for under 300 or 250, which was looking very likely at 6/2, Steyn wouldn't have had the luxury of just plugging away at that driving length and leaking runs.

In the end, maybe Steyn deserved it more, but Amla played a superb knock and basically batted India out of the game.

 

[saffer]

I'm not one to get hyped easily. But wow...what insane swing bowling by Steyn in this match ? I can honestly say Its the best most seriously dominating bowling performance I've seen in a long time. He made batters on a flat track look clueless.

And I liked Smith taking the time to point out Harris peformance. It makes him looks retarded to have to bowl that negative line but it helps the team so much. And he gets no glory for his role but turns up and does his job and chips in with the odd wicket (actually he averages around 30 runs per wicket and those runs come at around 2 per over while the quicks get to rest...and that considering he plays in the worst country or spin bowlers.)


All in all a seriously impressive South African performance. I'm starting to think we might just deserve the number 1 title. We should have done England 3 -1 at home and if not for Hughes in South Africa should have pwned them(Australia) too home and away.

 

[saffer]

Remeber it was only a few weeks ago that England thrashed SA in their own backyard.

I honestly believe England have a great chance of doing well in the subcontinent in the coming weeks.

Um...dude....we drew the series 1 -1. The othr two games they were more than 100 runs behind and 9 wickets down when time saved them. It was 2 balls away from 3- 1 thrashing.

 

[itduzz]

SA was unlucky in Eng series....Ntini saga caused them an easy 3-1 victory over UK. Also Steyn was not 100% in 1st 3 test. He was close to 100 % fit in 4th test & Eng got hammered in that.

 

[Uncle Sam]

I have no doubt that Australia is at their weakest in years

Tend not to agree with you here.
Didn't Australia 'C' team beat India in india's backyard?

 

[Robert]

Um...dude....we drew the series 1 -1. The othr two games they were more than 100 runs behind and 9 wickets down when time saved them.

When we saved ourselves, actually.

It was 2 balls away from 3- 1 thrashing.

Oh, the way you lot were bowling, England could have blocked out another hour in each match.

 

[itduzz]

This was perhaps the most humiliating defeat for Indian team. Ian Chappell was absolutely correct about hidden short comings of Indian team. ICC Ranking system is rather dubious. Number 1 so called Team has been given a knock out punch at their own backyard and still these Indians claim that they deserve Number 1 spot? It also shows how well England performed against South Africa 1-1 away result was just fantastic for England. These Indians were outplayed by a team which could not beat England at home in 4 match test series. What a shame for Number 1 side in the world. Whats the point of Sachin scoring centuries i mean its worthless. Still India got an innings defeat.

 

[saffer]

When we saved ourselves, actually.



Oh, the way you lot were bowling, England could have blocked out another hour in each match.

That's why you were 9 down undreds of runs behind after collapsing despite very flat tracks ? Don't kid yourself. 1-1 was a totally bizare reflection of that series. Englan probably won 1 session the whole 4 games.

 

[JustAnotherFan]

Was absolutely retarded to give Amla the award over Steyn.

Dunno, a Protea hardly ever gets a 250+ score. The day Kallis gets a double century it will snow. )

Steyn has had 10 wickets in a match 4 times. Yes, he had a special bowling performance on day 1, his best in an innings, but I still think Kallis and Amla (more so) initially laid the foundation for the win.

 

[itduzz]

Match was set up by Amla innings so right decision to give him the MOM.

 

[Sledger]

Who actually won the game? Steyn. Even if Amla hadn't scored a 200, South Africa would be well on top by the end of today (all other things being equal). I don't think having achieved something before should take away from someone doing it again. Should Lara not have got MOM after scoring 400, breaking his own highest score record?

Steyn was the player who'll be remembered more for this game and he definately deserved it imo.

 

[saffer]

Dunno, a Protea hardly ever gets a 250+ score. The day Kallis gets a double century it will snow. )

Steyn has had 10 wickets in a match 4 times. Yes, he had a special bowling performance on day 1, his best in an innings, but I still think Kallis and Amla (more so) initially laid the foundation for the win.

That's because they play on South African wickets and unlike India not any average player can average over 50 and get easy flat pitches to score 200 plus on. You can add 20 runs to your batting average on South African pitches to equal what it would be in India I can get you and vica versa. Most Indians averaging 50 over in India , in South Arica don't even average 30. So respect should be given to a saffer player like Kallis and Smith and a few others averging over 50. Seriously quality players ! While some Indian players with overages over 50 are very average players.

 

[Robert]

That's why you were 9 down undreds of runs behind after collapsing despite very flat tracks ? Don't kid yourself. 1-1 was a totally bizare reflection of that series. Englan probably won 1 session the whole 4 games.

But that one was in the right place at the right time.

And we beat the Aussies in a series even though they won 50 of the 75 sessions.

Don't kid yourself - SA just didn't have enough to beat us, and that's with KP out of sorts for the whole series.

 

[itduzz]

But that one was in the right place at the right time.

And we beat the Aussies in a series even though they won 50 of the 75 sessions.

Don't kid yourself - SA just didn't have enough to beat us, and that's with KP out of sorts for the whole series.

They beat you right in your back yard finishing Vaughan career

 

[JustAnotherFan]

Who actually won the game? Steyn. Even if Amla hadn't scored a 200, South Africa would be well on top by the end of today (all other things being equal). I don't think having achieved something before should take away from someone doing it again. Should Lara not have got MOM after scoring 400, breaking his own highest score record?

Steyn was the player who'll be remembered more for this game and he definately deserved it imo.

Amla was the grafter who sweated it out for 2 days ... Steyn walked through the tail in a few overs. Big difference. Amla is the guy who I'll buy a coke for anyway. (Excuse the pun).

 

[Random Aussie]

Naah mate. We intend to return the same favor that SA gave Eng expect a rank turner.

Wow that one pitch in South Africa has given all the pitch doctoring cheerleaders a new lease of life eh?

 

[dani2k]

^^ All is fair in love and war. And we don't expect conditions to suit us when we tour SA or Aus so why should SA do so? Boming the #1 is not kids play. So let SA face the "test" that they dread most to become what they "deserve to" . SA shouldnt be complaining. They were the one who threw "caution to the wind" and asked for a pacy pitch when faced with a similar situation against England.

Having said that, there are already reports that Eden gardens might not be a rank turner anway. So let us wait and see.

 

[Random Aussie]

^^ All is fair in love and war. And we don't expect conditions to suit us when we tour SA or Aus so why should SA do so? Boming the #1 is not kids play. So let SA face the "test" that they dread most to become what they "deserve to" . SA shouldnt be complaining. They were the one who threw "caution to the wind" and asked for a pacy pitch when faced with a similar situation against England.

Having said that, there are already reports that Eden gardens might not be a rank turner anway. So let us wait and see.

Hate to tell you but the Wanderers is not exactly a road normally. It is a pacy pitch.

And we made it to number 1 and remained there for a decade without doctoring our pitches. We even roll out flat pitches when our beloved Indian friends visit so they don't get upset and fly home.

So your comment about not expecting Aus pitches to suit is pretty much rubbish sorry.

 

[dani2k]

Yes, I would give credit to Australia that they don't change their pitches to suit them and that is why you were #1 for long. No qualms. That is the way it should be.

But it is not a perfect world that we live and so leave us mere mortals (the likes of India and SA) alone and don't try to defend SA in this case just because you hate India

If you say that wanderers has always been a road, then I would say that the very nature of Indian pitches is to spin and so there is no doctoring involved here. So Kanpur and Eden gardens are passe..

 

[qaiser]

I noticed that all Indian batsmen were playing in a V but that V was behind the wicket rather than front.

 

[Robert]

They beat you right in your back yard finishing Vaughan career

And before that we beat them in their backyard. What's your point?

 

[Keith]

And before that we beat them in their backyard. What's your point?

I suppose that after the recent test series (both home and away - Eng vs SA) SA have emerged the stonger of the 2 nations? Certainly would appear to be so with an SA away win and a home drawn series!!

There we go, settled!!!

 

[Robert]

I suppose that after the recent test series (both home and away - Eng vs SA) SA have emerged the stonger of the 2 nations? Certainly would appear to be so with an SA away win and a home drawn series!!

Since readmission, SA and England have been roughly par with each other. I think SA won two series, England won two, and three were shared. SA are currently the better side, no argument from me there.

 

[Keith]

Since readmission, SA and England have been roughly par with each other. I think SA won two series, England won two, and three were shared. SA are currently the better side, no argument from me there.

Agreed. England need to sort out a few things. A decent number 3 would be good and a consistent upper / middle order would go along way in making it a formidable side. I think your current attack is not bad at all!

I personally like to only look at the latest 2 series between any countries though.

Having a look at "old series" is wonderful for nostalgic reasons and to see the way certain players have performed over an extended period of time and also to see how the game has changed in that period.

 

[bantu]

Wow that one pitch in South Africa has given all the pitch doctoring cheerleaders a new lease of life eh?

So one pitch at a time is fine?!

 

[Robert]

Agreed. England need to sort out a few things. A decent number 3 would be good and a consistent upper / middle order would go along way in making it a formidable side. I think your current attack is not bad at all!

Jimmy is Jimmy - good when it swings, inconsistent otherwise. Hoggard was better because when it didn't swing he could block an end up and support Harmi and Fred.

Broad is a work in progress, slowly getting better and better. He should try to be a McGrath type rather than a Steyn. I hoped Onions would do more in the last series - he induced a few nicks that didn't carry. Swanny is the best spinner we have had in decades but faces a tough second year as the batters round the world learn him.

England bat deep which helps.

Trott is out of position at #3 - he is more of a #5. KP should take responsibility at #3 but he won't. I think we could drop Cook to #3, where he once did well. He was forced to open when Tres went home sick from Australia and has stayed there ever since.

For SA's part, Prince is out of position but otherwise your top four is extremely good at present. I've bagged Kallis a lot but he keeps knocking the runs in. I think Duminy should be your first spinner so drop Harris. Your fast attack looks very good, certainly better than the Aussies.

Having a look at "old series" is wonderful for nostalgic reasons and to see the way certain players have performed over an extended period of time and also to see how the game has changed in that period.

SA is probably my second team. I used to like watching Donald, Pollock and Big Mac coming in. I work with a few Saffers and have travelled to Pretoria. I like their attitude.