South Africa v India Dec 10, 2023- Jan 4, 2024 3 T20s 3 ODIs 2 Tests

[NYRB]

I think deep down India dont have the motivation to come back here tomorrow for a 4th day.

I think they need that 2 days off to recoup, re-energrize and rethink their tactics.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Good review
Thought it was just helmet

 

[NYRB]

Burger gets his 4th in the 2nd innings and South Africa are 1 wicket away from victory.

 

[NYRB]

Burger has a chance for a Michelle Pfeiffer.

 

[PhatBoy]

Pretty hard to fault Kohli when you dive into his record.
Home average of 60 and away of 42 which looks slightly suspicious but there’s a few anomalies in there that really impact it.
For one, he has only played 3 tests in Bangladesh of all places but it would have taken a couple of points off that average as he only managed to average 14. England has really put a hole in it as he’s averaged 33 in 17 tests so combining that with his 36 in four matches in NZ you’d have to assume that swing is his nemesis. On the flip side he has still scored 3 centuries and 6 half centuries in those 21 matches - four ducks has really hurt him. He can obviously handle it, but when he’s not set he’s very vulnerable.

His records in Australia and SA are faultless for an Indian batsman.
21 matches, 8 centuries, 8 half centuries, 2000 runs at about 52.
He plays bounce and pace about as well as anyone since Gavaskar or Armanath. Certainly deserves to be in the same bracket as Tendulkar.

Interestingly Tendulkar is the only one of all of their greats who has managed to do it in all of them.
Dravid never conquered SA - managed to break 40 in Australia and was huge in most nations but was 29 in SA, Laxman got stuck in the 30s in England
Ganguly had a fantastic record in England but was mid-30s in Australia and SA and struggled in NZ
Pujara was good in Australia but ordinary elsewhere
Sehwag got hundreds in England and SA but really struggled otherwise, only thrived in Australia (45)

 

[Ephemeral Hope]

Yeah but he is out while Kohli is still there, I have argued with Indian fans that try to tell me that Rohit Sharma is a better batsman,

Rohit might be a better ODI or T20 batsman but Kohli is the better test match batsman.

Very much a David Warner and smith situation.

 

[Ephemeral Hope]

Burger looks like another nasty SA quick,

It's a tough pace to bat when the SA quicks smell blood in the water.

Why were they so shit when they played here

 

[NYRB]

what a catch from Rabada and thats South Africa who leads the best of 2 series, 1-0.

 

[PhatBoy]

Why were they so s**t when they played here

They took 14-253 at Brisbane when the pitch had a bit in it. The one in Melbourne wasn’t exactly a lively one. By Sydney I think they were just bowling shit.

 

[PhatBoy]

Kohli going down swinging.

He's already shown why he is the best Indian batsman in this line up,

He's just rubbing it now.

I’m not sure it was a secret - the guy has nearly 9000 test runs and was trying to run down his 30th test hundred

 

[NYRB]

DJ with a good sense of music, playing this banger:

 

[Fudge Nuggets]

South Africa dragged their nuts all across India's faces. That was humiliating.

 

[Gavin Excell]

India thrashed

Will they now abandon the tour?

 

[PhatBoy]

India thrashed

Will they now abandon the tour?

You recall what happened when they came to Australia and got bowled out for 36 right?

 

[Gavin Excell]

You recall what happened when they came to Australia and got bowled out for 36 right?

They won the next Test from memory

 

[eth-dog]

They won the next Test from memory

And the tour

 

[Gavin Excell]

Well in SA it sadly only a 2 Test series for reasons that escape me

 

[PhatBoy]

They won the next Test from memory

So why would they up and leave now

 

[PhatBoy]

Well in SA it sadly only a 2 Test series for reasons that escape me

Discussed earlier in the thread. SA’s franchise comp starts soon after the second test

 

[Gavin Excell]

Discussed earlier in the thread. SA’s franchise comp starts soon after the second test

Great

 

[eth-dog]

Elgar to captain his last test. Fantastic.

 

[Cmarsh]

Discussed earlier in the thread. SA’s franchise comp starts soon after the second test

Its a shame that alot of the players from this really good SA test side wont be available for the upcoming tests in NZ because of this IPL funded t20 franchise league.

 

[PhatBoy]

Its a shame that alot of the players from this really good SA test side wont be available for the upcoming tests in NZ because of this IPL funded t20 franchise league.

It absolutely sucks but boy I’m looking forward to seeing this Bedingham bat some more. He’s booked his tickets and he looks absolutely delightful.

Some really interesting comments after the game from their coach who has basically in a roundabout way said the team and the talk from their home media has gone a bit timid with regard to test cricket and not pumped themselves up enough and he wants that to change - kind of hard when you’re about to send a mostly second string side to a country where touring teams have generally struggled a bit in recent times but I really hope that they can get a good attack together and give it to NZ.

I had a lot of goodwill toward the kiwis and probably still do for the most part but they are a frustrating team; they keep finding ways to get ‘almost’ there or in the case of the test team they actually did get there, but as soon as they reach their peak that’s it, they go down the other side as quick as they reached it and they don’t maintain it.

They shoot themselves in the foot by persisting with guys who don’t deserve it like Nicholls and Sodhi - though to their credit Santner has proven to be a handy cricketer eventually - while a guy like Colin Munro has been the best test cricketer they never had.

I’m not sure of their bowling cartel who SA will and won’t have available to tour - I’m assuming Rabada won’t go- but I hope they have a strong attack.

 

[akkaps]

Was predicting a closer game than this.
From memory, India have always struggled in South Africa.
Just didn't think it would be a innings defeat

 

[PhatBoy]

Was predicting a closer game than this.
From memory, India have always struggled in South Africa.
Just didn't think it would be a innings defeat

Last tour was the closest they’ve realistically been to winning there and Keegan Petersen saw to that.

Are you a bit concerned for your side Akkaps? Seem to have some gaps at the moment - Gill still has plenty of time on his side but hasn’t come on as he would have liked, Rahul is very hit and miss, Sharma likewise when he’s on the road: Kohli is propping the batting up any time you guys travel at the moment.