South Africa [382 & 104/4] defeat Australia [243 & 239] by 6 wickets in the 2nd Test

[hk031992]

AB is a beast, feel honored to be watching this series which may well be his last. Let's go AB, lets add another 50 runs here.

 

[Smbhayi]

one of the best century of him, congrats ABD

 

[BreadPakoda]

Before 2015 WC. Yet, he has been SA's best batsmen in 3 out of the 4 tours he played since then.

Wonder why he hasn't been able to score more centuries in this period?

5 centuries (including today's) in 5 years is a poor show for a batsman like him.
Also, only 1 century of these have not come at home. Of the 4 he has scored at home, 2 are against West Indies.

 

[BreadPakoda]

Great batting by him today

 

[Ab Fan]

Wonder why he hasn't been able to score more centuries in this period?

5 centuries (including today's) in 5 years is a poor show for a batsman like him.
Also, only 1 century of these have not come at home. Of the 4 he has scored at home, 2 are against West Indies.

He is mentally weak, a mental midget.

 

[Ab Fan]

ATG knock

 

[Adijazz1706]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Abbas you beast!!!!</p>— Dale Steyn (@DaleSteyn62) <a href="https://twitter.com/DaleSteyn62/status/972759696317845504?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

What???

 

[Oligochaetes]

Abbas Devilliers!

Fabulous knock and now a 100+ lead

 

[Ab Fan]

The lead is good enough now. Time to flay the attack to all corners. Who does that better than AB afterall?

 

[hk031992]

A lead of 150 plus will make it impossible for Aus to bounce back. Barring a collapse by SA when they are chasing last, they should be able to win this. They need to get Aus out for 300 or so, they don't want to be chasing a lot especially with Faf out of form, De Kock not a 100% back yet, Amla still grinding it out, etc.

 

[dravidthewall]

Match already in the bag of southafrica...australia will crumble under pressure

 

[Ozymandiasza]

Starc getting smacked by Maharaj

 

[hk031992]

Australia being hammered here. Jeez, this makes the rest of the series exciting. A lot of people thought SA were going to fold after the first match, but cricket is far more unpredictable than that. Look at where SA are right now.

 

[hk031992]

Maharaj out, lead by 126

 

[Oligochaetes]

131 run lead, Is this a winning lead? How is the pitch playing?

 

[hk031992]

If AB stays unbeaten here, AB will average over 190 in this series so far. Lol.

 

[hk031992]

SA all out. AB unbeaten at 126. AB averages 198 for the series.

SA lead by 139

 

[Oligochaetes]

If AB stays unbeaten here, AB will average over 190 in this series so far. Lol.

You wish has been fulfilled.

 

[Fahdi]

Suicidal run really.

 

[aman92]

What a brilliant performance by AB...simply a joy to watch! Australians simply have no clue how to get him out

 

[Adijazz1706]

Ab averaging 200 or so this series, power of not-outs this lead should be enough to win imo

 

[Ab Fan]

Need to all out Aus under 275.

 

[soso_killer]

This is easily AB's third best knock and his second best 100+ score, which is telling in a 100+ Test career with 22 Test tons. I'm not interested in individuals registering a 90 when Johnson is running riot and your team goes on to lose by 150+ runs. (There are exceptions when a solo effort is monumental where an individual almost salvages a draw e.g Amla almost taking SA within 10 deliveries of saving a Test and thus winning a series in India). We already know in any sport certain players are more talented and skillful than others. Skill on its own is simply not good enough, it's how one utilises those set of skills (limited or otherwise) to complement the team. Sometimes the opposition is too good and there's nothing that can be done.

(Chelsea are playing Barcelona this Tuesday. Everyone knows Hazard is Chelsea's best player. However scoring two goals at the back end of a 4/5-2 thumping would be simply useless to me. However if Chelsea stifle Barca and he sneaks a goal in a smash and grab, then I'll simply rate that performance as outstanding even if he had a poor game personally. That's how I rate players in team sports. What does that particular individual do when the rest of his mates are working hard and providing a platform for its star player to grab the headlines)


AB's lack of match awareness has always been my gripe with him. I know he has the skills and talent that not many can match in the history of the game. Yet there have been better match winners. He has failed to take opportunities where the match needed to be grabbed by the throat, until recently.

He has a monumental knock of 33 of 240 odd deliveries in Australia. That is his best knock in my view. Not only did that save a match , it helped SA win a series in Australia in the subsequent match.
The double ton in India is probably his second best (then again he was mentored by Kallis throughout that knock). I rate this knock just below those two. Yeah he did play an outstanding knock against India recently from 12/3 in a lively pitch. But he sort of left the job half done. A better opponent for those conditions would have made us pay. And yes there is something about registering a ton than a tantalising 76.

This match is not won yet though, but I liked his application. Amla and Elgar did all the hard

 

[Dulex9]

Great innings by ABDV, when it mattered the most and strike rate is phenomenal.

South Africa has the upper hand and will be tough for Australia to get the upper hand. I guess they need to get a lead of 300 to defend against this SA batting attack.

 

[Oligochaetes]

Australia isnt going to roll over and die. Fighting hard at the moment. The Saffers need to keep the intensity with the ball.

:

Warner smacks Rabada!

 

[Oligochaetes]

Rabadaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

:
Warner GONE!

 

[Hasan123]

Rabada celebration

 

[Oligochaetes]

Usman Bhai starts with double bang

: :

 

[Dark Magician]

Rabada.

 

[majiz]

elitetruthbomb: rabada is the greatest fast bowler of all time

 

[Amirforpresident]

Rabada is breathing fire.

Imagine what he will do to Babar and Shafiq later this year

 

[Ab Fan]

Rabada is so good. I hope he is not banned in the next test. He delivered a brilliant bowling spell in first inning.

 

[Ab Fan]

It is a good surface to bat on. Goes to show how poor SA lineup is. Elgar and Amla scored 50s at very low SR on a batting pitch without any major scoreboard pressure.

It will become tough in final inning though.

 

[Adijazz1706]

It is a good surface to bat on. Goes to show how poor SA lineup is. Elgar and Amla scored 50s at very low SR on a batting pitch without any major scoreboard pressure.

It will become tough in final inning though.

Tons of spin and help for disciplined bowling, look at Phil's figures

 

[Oligochaetes]

:

Bancroft goes...loss in concentration.

 

[Oligochaetes]

Bradman is here!

Has performed below his usual standards so far. Perfect opportunity to correct the anomaly.

 

[Cozyrensetter]

Gold smith

 

[AMSS]

Looks like there's no appetite among the Saffer public for this test series. Weekend arrived and shall be gone in a matter of hours but the stands were barely 20 percent full. Perhaps less. Compare with the LOIs leg of Indian tour.

 

[Ab Fan]

Bradman saving his best for IPL!

 

[Oligochaetes]

Bradman No More!

:

 

[AMSS]

Holding is painful to listen to at the best of times. And now he says Khwaja strikes.

 

[HydratedTurnip]

Smith's poor technique letting him down there... why play so far back to that ball?

 

[Ab Fan]

The match is done there I believe... Congratulations SA!

 

[Ab Fan]

Khwaja should play a good inning now so that he could be retained for rest of the matches.

 

[Oligochaetes]

The match is done there I believe... Congratulations SA!

South Africa have to bat last. Collapse possible from any position

 

[Oligochaetes]

Khwaja using this opportunity to get some much needed runs..

 

[Adijazz1706]

Philander has great control, I wonder what his econ has been in these 5 tests. Prolly under 2

 

[babajee]

Kohli > Smith

 

[jnaveen1980]

wow Didn't know ABDV did not score a 100 in 2016 and 2017. Welcome back AB !! Great knock.

 

[jnaveen1980]

Kohli > Smith

Wouldn't say that yet. But his odd technique failed him in the first innings. Walking right across the stumps like nobody's business did not work for him.

 

[Ab Fan]

South Africa have to bat last. Collapse possible from any position

Dont see Australia surpassing 250 mark in this inning.

 

[jnaveen1980]

I was always wondering how they could come up with a track that suits them more than Australia. Even this track is not suitable for SA. But ABDV stepped and made sure of that alongwith support cast like Elgar who plays good attritional cricket. This is a very slow track. So Starc was effectively nullified. Just Hazlewood and Lyon they had to contend with. Lyon didn't bowl that much at crucial times. Near perfect result for SA.

 

[jnaveen1980]

South Africa have to bat last. Collapse possible from any position

If anyone can orchestrate a 4th innings chase in Tests better, that is SA. They are great 4th innings team overall. I do not expect the to collapse.

 

[shebimalik]

Great bowling rabada

 

[jnaveen1980]

This was poor batting by Marsh. Ball was dead sraight with no movement.Just a gun barrell stright ball. Shaun marsh had a feel of it.

 

[jnaveen1980]

Australia is nervous. You could see that.

 

[Oligochaetes]

Rabadabadoooo!

 

[Oligochaetes]

Day 3 - Session 3: Australia trail by 53 runs with 6 wickets remaining

Need to get atleast 200 runs more to make this an interesting 4th innings chase.

 

[jnaveen1980]

correction. small deviation. But he had no business playing at it. May be the previous inswinging ball did him in.

 

[jnaveen1980]

Rabada is not even pushing hard. Just bowls a shade under 135 k. Focussing more on working the batsman out.

 

[shebimalik]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Extremely special innings from AB, what a player and what an occasion to rise upto after the controversial 1st test. Test cricket at its best. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Abd?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Abd</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SAvsAUS?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SAvsAUS</a></p>— Ashwin Ravichandran (@ashwinravi99) <a href="https://twitter.com/ashwinravi99/status/972788735619158018?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[jnaveen1980]

Rabada should start bowling full. Once ball pitches it loses all the pace..

 

[jnaveen1980]

Haysman is saying while showing the groundsman "Groundsman has done a good job preparing a surface that is low and slow " lol Slow and low pitch has become a good pitch now.

 

[jnaveen1980]

Get Maharaj on . PHilander is waste of time.

 

[Oligochaetes]

Get Maharaj on . PHilander is waste of time.

Just changing ends mate...

 

[jnaveen1980]

Wow another dumb review.haha

 

[jnaveen1980]

SA is losing their focus. There are no clear plans i see. They are just hoping for them to throw their wicket away. This is still a good batting surface. You need to bowl well to earn your wickets.

 

[Ab Fan]

Khwaja is turning out to be a little dangerous to SA now. 150 more runs and Aus will feel they can make a good match of it.

 

[jnaveen1980]

Khwaja is turning out to be a little dangerous to SA now. 150 more runs and Aus will feel they can make a good match of it.

Very ill-disciplined bowling. Rabada has to go back to his full and straight length which got him wickets in the first innings.

 

[jnaveen1980]

Brendon Julian raises the same point i raised. He is hardly attacking the stumps. Finally when he did he is able to pose some problems. Rabada that is.

 

[Chief Destroyer]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Abbas you beast!!!!</p>— Dale Steyn (@DaleSteyn62) <a href="https://twitter.com/DaleSteyn62/status/972759696317845504?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

I knew he was half-Pakistani. You can't have such talent and not be from Pakistan.

 

[Ab Fan]

SA need a wkt before end of day's play.

 

[Oligochaetes]

Good fightback. Australians are fighters.

 

[Dulex9]

Khawaja and Mitchell Marsh are putting up a good fight.

Australia in my opinion needs a lead of 300 and I think that's enough to beat the Saffies.

 

[jnaveen1980]

Almost like nothing is going to happen until they take the new ball. They are playing with ridiculous ease now.

 

[troodon]

Pitch is nice and flat.

Batsmen will not get out unless they gift it away.

New ball is the only hope for SA. Still long way to go. Aus will have a lead of 100 runs by the time new ball arrives.

If Aus can get 150 lead, they are in with a chance. 200 lead will make them fav to win this Test.

Mitch Marsh has become one of the best all rounders in a matter of months. From being a joke to being the best. What a turn around.

 

[Protea Fan]

Kagiso you beauty

If he's going to miss the next two test then the series is done and dusted for SA

 

[jnaveen1980]

Kagiso Rabada!! Ball of the match? Ball looked like tailing in then ever so slightly just moving away by a fraction to trap him.

 

[jnaveen1980]

Pitch is nice and flat.

Batsmen will not get out unless they gift it away.

New ball is the only hope for SA. Still long way to go. Aus will have a lead of 100 runs by the time new ball arrives.

If Aus can get 150 lead, they are in with a chance. 200 lead will make them fav to win this Test.

Mitch Marsh has become one of the best all rounders in a matter of months. From being a joke to being the best. What a turn around.

or produce an absolute peach lol That was a peach that would have got most top batsmen into trouble. You cannot factor in such a late movement.

 

[Ab Fan]

Kagiso Rabada, you beauty!