[Santoshbhat]

SA 130 all out!! 208 to win for India. I haven't seen a single ball today, so I don't know how the pitch is playing. But 207 should be gettable if our batsmen come out playing positively and have a bit of luck on their side.

Edit : Remember Steyn is out of action. Advantage India I say.

Edit 2 : Saw a few wickets on the web. Looks like the wicket is playing up. India will have to play out of their skins to win this one.

[Waspune]

The wicket is playing up indeed. 208 won't be easy. Even without Steyn other 3 pacers would be more than handful on this seaming wicket.
Having said that both Bumrah and Shami bowled really well in the morning session. It's a 50:50 at the moment.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by Santoshbhat

SA 130 all out!! 208 to win for India.
...
Edit 2 : Saw a few wickets on the web. Looks like the wicket is playing up. India will have to play out of their skins to win this one.

Won't be an easy task on this wicket, Steyn's absence will be an advantage for India.

First part of the job has been done by our bowlers to restrict SA to a low score, now it's up to the batsmen to do their part.

[PPS]

Originally Posted by Santoshbhat

SA 130 all out!! 208 to win for India. I haven't seen a single ball today, so I don't know how the pitch is playing.

The ball will do a bit in the first 20-25 overs it seems. The sun is out since some time now. That should help ease out the pitch. Need some disciplined sensible batting from the top 5 & we should be through! Rain yesterday certainly helped us.
Test Cricket at its very best. Glad to be home early from work.
The Ashes was a damp squib!

[joslicx]

Originally Posted by Sawyer

I agree; and I have no idea why the wicket keepers are not thought of when it comes to the all rounder tag. Maybe because their presence does not affect the decision of how many bowlers are needed for the team balance if they are in the side. .

Well, it could be argued that a wicket keeper that can bat would allow you the luxury of choosing an extra bowler! After all, if, as a captain, you want to play with 6 batsman then a wicket keeper that can bat allows you to choose 5 bowlers vis-a-vis a wicket keeper who cannot bat.

[Oxy]

Game done and dusted. 77/6 as I type with all 5 batters and Pandya back in the hut.

They deserve this for dropping KLR and Rahane and replacing them with a couple of walking wickets.

[Eddy]

Originally Posted by Oxy

They deserve this for dropping KLR and Rahane and replacing them with a couple of walking wickets.

Absolutely. And I wonder if they will correct this in the second match or will they see it as "too much chopping and changing".

[searacer932]

Vijay, Rohit & Pandya got out to balls that they could have left as is. Poking and nudging does not work in SA and Australia! Either go hard or leave it. To be fair, Pandya did try to go hard but the ball went in the air.

[Chetan_Rao]

Said this after the first innings, can't say any better.

Originally Posted by Chetan_Rao

It would serve Indian batsmen well to get some 'leave good balls alone' practice sessions.....

[NPV]

Dhawan's dismissal was so much like Sourav Ganguly's nemesis in the past - the short pitched ball on or outside leg stump!

On the lighter side:
Team selection aside, we need one more change to be more successful on this tour - no commetary! We lost way too many wickets in the second innings to the commentators curse

[PPS]

Nobody gave the Indians a chance in this game since the very beginning. We can just hope to compete with SA now & perhaps give them a scare somehow.

Talking of leaving balls alone, we needed to a lot of that in the practice games which never transpired. It was surprising to see someone like Vijay who used to be good at this take almost an off stump guard to get the lbw out of the equation.

There was a ray of hope when Virat & Rohit were batting. Infact just before Virat got out Maharaj was warming up & would have probably bowled. The 3 SA fast bowlers were being rotated for the 1st 25-30 overs. So credit to them for putting in a huge effort bowling continuous spells.
Rohit doesn't look his usual fluent self in such conditions. Team Management needs to really ring in the changes for next test.

[nilanjanray]

This was surrender. I say this because the tailenders could put up a fight. The specialist batsmen have mental issues (either going into a shell or being overambitious, sometimes both in consecutive overs) when the ball starts moving and bouncing.

[redcruiser]

Originally Posted by Eddy

Absolutely. And I wonder if they will correct this in the second match or will they see it as "too much chopping and changing".

why bring back KL Rahul and who do you replace for him?

I agree in the next match Rohit sharma will vacate his place to Rahane.

[Eddy]

Playing Dhawan and Rohit in the same XI in an overseas game is too much of a gamble. Ideally, I would swap out both of them for Rahul & Rahane.

[chiranjitp]

Originally Posted by Eddy

Playing Dhawan and Rohit in the same XI in an overseas game is too much of a gamble. Ideally, I would swap out both of them for Rahul & Rahane.

That is exactly what I was thinking, making dhawan open the innings in South Africa is a big gamble. Also rahane shouldn't have been dropped, he is the vice captain of the team & has got runs in abroad before. If not for Pandya's knock India would have had a even bigger defeat.