[jkrishnakj]

40+ more overs to go! South Africa will have to really brave it up for a fight. Tough times for their batsmen. Enjoyable to watch our pacers being so menancing. Im hoping for atleast 3 more wickets today.

[selfdrive]

Originally Posted by SoumenD

Btw I was watching this on hotstar and the viewership looks dismal. 2-6L max concurrent viewers. Is this normal for test matches ? During IPL it used to be 60L+ more so during Chennai games thanks to Dhoni

Most people don't watch test cricket through the day but follow the scores online. WFH during the pandemic allowed me to watch ball to ball action for the series against Australia and England after many years.
As for IPL it seems to be more of a substitute for saas bahu or naagin serials than any serious followership. Like some serials dragging on for years, one doesn't need any context to watch a game. And similarly no one seems to tell apart one game from another even a few days later. Test series results and even some sections are remembered for decades.
Think India in SA: Centuries by Praveen Amre, Virender Sehwag. Sachin being castled by Donald. Sachin and Azhar in a fantastic partnership. Sachin being caught by Adam Bacher at the boundary. Dravid hooking Donald for 6.... The list continues...
Other test series bring so many more memories.

Sorry for going on about it

[redCherry]

Originally Posted by selfdrive

And similarly no one seems to tell apart one game from another even a few days later. Test series results and even some sections are remembered for decades.
Think India in SA: Centuries by Praveen Amre, Virender Sehwag. Sachin being castled by Donald. Sachin and Azhar in a fantastic partnership. Sachin being caught by Adam Bacher at the boundary. Dravid hooking Donald for 6

That's exactly my thought too, about IPL & Test cricket
In fact, I don't even check the scores of IPL.
But test cricket, and the ones' you mentioned just brings all the memories back so vividly, especially Sachin-Azhar's brilliant partnership , Dravid's 6 off Donald (I think it was in a 0ne-day, though) and Donald's celebration after clean-bowling Sachin with a fast off-cutter

[landcruiser123]

305 might not be easy to chase, but RSA will try to bat time and pray for rain.


A lot of rain predicted on day 5. I hope Indian bowlers can open the floodgates and pick wickets in heaps.

Originally Posted by SoumenD

Btw I was watching this on hotstar and the viewership looks dismal. 2-6L max concurrent viewers. Is this normal for test matches ? During IPL it used to be 60L+ more so during Chennai games thanks to Dhoni

Nobody really watches test cricket anymore, but people do follow scores the entire day. The last time I watched a complete test match - every single ball day 1 - 5 was during my in 2012 when I was in 12th grade.

Watching the IPL is like watching a Bollywood movie everyday as mentioned in this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZGLHdcw2RM

[selfdrive]

World Record 54 English ducks in 2021:

Burns 6
Sibley 4
Hameed 4
Crawley 2
Malan 1
Root 1
Lawrence 4
Butler 2
Bairstow 4
Bracey 2
Curran 3
Bess 1
Ali 1
Leach 2
Archer 2
Stone 1
Wood 2
Robinson 5
Broad 3
Anderson 4

[Bibendum90949]

Originally Posted by redCherry

On another note, Averages of Rahane, Pujara for last 2 years is -
Rahane - 25.2
Pujara - 26.5

Based on form, one of these 2 should have made way for Vihari. Now the problem is the captain himself is averaging just over 26 (26.4) .

Now the 2021 stats for a better picture. With the fulcrum of our batting crumbling, isn't it ironical that we have done well as a test team in the recent past. Heck, we even managed to wallop the mighty aussies in their backyard with a second string team.

[PPS]

Originally Posted by Bibendum90949

Now the 2021 stats for a better picture. With the fulcrum of our batting crumbling, isn't it ironical that we have done well as a test team in the recent past. Heck, we even managed to wallop the mighty aussies in their backyard with a second string team.

Everyone knows we have a misfiring middle order. Inspite of that we have done well, mostly thanks to our bowlers & some vital contributions from the bat at various stages from others. Normal tendency would have been to plug the weakness by playing the extra 6th batsman but its commendable that they've stuck to the 5 bowler theory.

[NPV]

And it's a victory for India at super sport park, centurion (first ever test win at this venue).

Immediately after lunch, Shami got the wicket of Jansen and then Ashwin helped wipe out the last 2 tailenders Rabada and Ngidi for a well deserved win

Wow, a Test match win against South Africa in South Africa has been rare so this will be cherished for a long time. Will India breach the frontier and create history with a series win ? Hope they do!

[jkrishnakj]

Excellent win. I was hoping for 4 wickets yesterday and was obliged. I really was hoping we finish before lunch.

A good win at Centurion. Surely a dent into SA’s pride. Lovely.

[harry10]

We have won tests in Australia, England and SA this year.

Who would have thought this will ever happen. Great contribution from all and especially Shami and KL Rahul.

[Gaurav_7]

Great win but I do hope we see changes in the next test as Pujara and Rahane have had their chances and their time is well and truly over. Vihari and Iyer should be in the XI. Highly doubt it might happen but under Dravid I am very hopeful of this team doing wonders in time to come.

[searacer932]

Guys,

This clearly proves that you need a stronger bowling attack to win test matches and you can still win test matches even if your batting is weak. I have always believed it and our test team's results over the past 5 years clearly demonstrate this.

The Indian test team of early 2000s clearly had a stronger batting line up (Viru, VVS, Dravid, SRT, Dada) but they didn't win as many test matches as the current team for the simple reason that team did not have a strong bowling line up.

Ideal combination would be batting line up of 2000s with the bowling line up of 2020s but this will just remain a pipe dream.

Truly grateful to the Indian team to have given us many great test victories over the past number of years

[Fx14]

Another fortress breached.

Centurion is to SA, what Gabba is to Australia.

Both conquered by our guys.

[AtheK]

If i m correct India is the first Asian team to win in centurion, another feather in the cap of this amazing team. The fast bowling brigade is easily the best in the world right now, there is just no letup of pressure from either end.

[harry10]

Most people love crapping on Kohli just because he is aggressive on field and doesn't take bullshit from SENA countries. These guys don't care whether he will retire as GOAT Odi player or he is the best Test captain India ever had.

They don't even care that same Pacers barring Bumrah played under MSD and we were continuously thrashed in SENA tests. Now we dominate SENA tests with same pace resources. Even since his last century in 2019 he averages 53 in Odi and 39 in T20. In tests he is averaging 26 which is disappointing but if he keeps winning us overseas series it's not an issue cos sooner or later his form will return. I am more concerned for Pujara and Rahane but then it's upto the team management to decide and i have faith in Dravid.

Personally I still rate Sachin way above Kohli as a batsman but since Sachin's retirement Kohli and Rohit have been the 2 best players we had.

It's a shame QDK retiring at such a young age but this will happen more often as Covid has messed up life and playing all formats for all players is becoming almost impossible.