[ValarMorghulis]

We need some sort of breakthrough/miracle to win this tomorrow.

[narayans80]

It is South Africa's game to lose. But this match, bowling has dominated the bat. So anything can happen.

What a match has it been for Bangladesh. Just wow!

[ABHI_1512]

Originally Posted by redCherry

Gavaskar too has same opinion about Pant's batting today

I have always maintained that Pant is not cutout for red ball cricket. Centuries abroad count for nothing if someone is hell bent on not learning. Pant has been with the test team long enough to know that a sense of responsibility is what his position in the batting order demands.

A good and responsible player with superb wicket keeping skills named Wriddhiman Saha was made to sit out while Kohli and Shastri went their way to play Pant. Pant neither has the temperament nor he has the intent to stay at the wicket. Sometimes his shots come good but maximum times it doesn’t and there in lies the big problem.

Some players were given too many chances only to get fizzled away. Case in point- Hardik Pandya who was quickly catapulted to Kapil Dev’s standard on the basis of few good performances. Look where he is now !! I feel sad for players who consistently perform in the domestic season and despite that few IPL performances catapult players into the test team. I hope with Rahul Dravid at the helm, these things change at the very least !!

[PPS]

Match is tantalizingly poised! I feel SA have batted brilliantly so far & the rate of scoring in the initial stages caught the Indian team off guard. Our bowlers should keep it tight & Ashwin has a big role to play today. The heavy roller tends to flatten out the pitch for a while. Siraj injury isn't helping the team. Stern test for KL as a captain. It wouldn't be a bad idea to have Virat on as a substitute or carry drinks just for that psychological effect!

[mazda4life]

I watched the match yesterday and it was utterly irresponsible for Pant to have played that shot knowing how important it was for the team to have runs on the board. Hope Dravid takes a special class to drill some common sense into him. It’s really for SA to lose the match from this position and knowing their pedigree I will not be surprised if they make it hard for themselves to finish the cross line.

[Eddy]

SA winning this easy by 6 wickets

[mukeshgoel]

Originally Posted by Eddy

SA winning this easy by 6 wickets

"Play start delayed due to rain - South Africa need 122 runs"

Oh, the weather outside is frightful
But the fire is so delightful
And since we've no place to go
Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain.

But it's just 4th day.

[Oxy]

Originally Posted by ABHI_1512

A good and responsible player with superb wicket keeping skills named Wriddhiman Saha was made to sit out while Kohli and Shastri went their way to play Pant. Pant neither has the temperament nor he has the intent to stay at the wicket. Sometimes his shots come good but maximum times it doesn’t and there in lies the big problem.

Yes Pant isn't perfect, but Saha isn't an option either. When was the last time Saha even reached double figures? He bats like a glorified tailender.

I will take a quick fire 25 runs from Pant anyday over a "responsible" 7. Some players are like that. You cannot expect Sehwag to play like Dravid for example.

I do agree though that Pant's shot was irresponsible and a more level headed guy in that situation would have helped.

[vibbs]

Originally Posted by Oxy

Yes Pant isn't perfect, but Saha isn't an option either. When was the last time Saha even reached double figures? He bats like a glorified tailender.

I will take a quick fire 25 runs from Pant anyday over a "responsible" 7. Some players are like that. You cannot expect Sehwag to play like Dravid for example.

I do agree though that Pant's shot was irresponsible and a more level headed guy in that situation would have helped.

I agree. Pant is not perfect and Saha is not an option. We need to look at younger prospects as a substitute for Pant.

When Pant clicks it is exhilarating to watch. But with the middle order being as it is now, we cannot afford to have another player who will get out cheaply 8 out of 10 times just because he likes to go bonkers irrespective of the situation.

He would have been a perfect batsman if Kohli, Rahane and Pujara were delivering like their averages 3 years ago.
Its harsh on Pant that because our Middle order is as it is now, there is an even higher pressure on him to play responsibly!

[sridhu]

Originally Posted by vibbs

I agree. Pant is not perfect and Saha is not an option. We need to look at younger prospects as a substitute for Pant.

When Pant clicks it is exhilarating to watch. But with the middle order being as it is now, we cannot afford to have another ...

The boy is low in confidence.

Saha is definitely the better keeper. I am not so sure I will, so glibly, dismiss him as an option.

In tests, unlike in white ball cricket, specialists are more important than bits-and-pieces players. An allrounder has to be capable of walking into a side on either of the skills alone to be worth the name. This "can also contribute valuable runs/ wickets" is nonsense, IMO

[Oxy]

Originally Posted by sridhu

The boy is low in confidence.

Saha is definitely the better keeper. I am not so sure I will, so glibly, dismiss him as an option.

In tests, unlike in white ball cricket, specialists are more important than bits-and-pieces players. An allrounder has to be capable of walking into a side on either of the skills alone to be worth the name. This "can also contribute valuable runs/ wickets" is nonsense, IMO

Pant won us a series in Australia. Without him we were never going to win that Brisbane test.

You cannot drop such an impact player for a better keeper who is not even 10 percent as capable with the bat.

So no, a keeper who cannot hold a bat cannot be preferred only because he's a specialist.

[mailbalaji]

Originally Posted by vibbs

I agree. Pant is not perfect and Saha is not an option. We need to look at younger prospects as a substitute for Pant.

KS Bharat seems to be the next obvious choice. He was very good when he substituted for Saha. Guess he has the temperament and game for Test games

[ABHI_1512]

Originally Posted by vibbs

I agree. Pant is not perfect and Saha is not an option. We need to look at younger prospects as a substitute for Pant.

When Pant clicks it is exhilarating to watch. But with the middle order being as it is now, we cannot afford to have another player who will get out cheaply 8 out of 10 times just because he likes to go bonkers irrespective of the situation.

Wriddhiman Saha is beyond consideration for the national team now. He lost his prime when Dhoni was the default keeper for the country. Plagued by injuries and prejudice, his career is as good as over. Pant has been preferred over him for the last few years and that’s why it makes me feel sad for the player who gave his everything while he was playing, even playing with a fracture to save a match !!

We should definitely look for a good wicket keeper batsman as is the norm for test cricket instead of someone as unsteady as Pant or instil some discipline while playing the tests at least.

Originally Posted by sridhu

Saha is definitely the better keeper. I am not so sure I will, so glibly, dismiss him as an option.

In tests, unlike in white ball cricket, specialists are more important than bits-and-pieces players. An allrounder has to be capable of walking into a side on either of the skills alone to be worth the name. This "can also contribute valuable runs/ wickets" is nonsense, IMO

Absolutely agree with you, test cricket is indeed a specialist’s game. Unlike the hoolabaloo of T20, test cricket is still the purest form of cricket. Bits and pieces player like Pant add no value to the team when the onus is on him to perform for a specialist part. His keeping might have improved but he still remains the weaker link behind the wicket.

Originally Posted by Oxy

You cannot drop such an impact player for a better keeper who is not even 10 percent as capable with the bat.

So no, a keeper who cannot hold a bat cannot be preferred only because he's a specialist.

A keeper who cannot hold a bat scored the first century in some 65 balls in an IPL Final, a keeper who cannot hold a bat came in when India was around 120/5 or something against West Indies in St. Lucia and India went on to win the test match, a keeper who holds the record for ten dismissals in an innings, a keeper who has a first class double century cannot hold a bat !! Am I surprised, No, I am not since public memory is anyway short.

A man who was given the name Flying Saha just for the incredible wicket keeping skills finds no favour from the T20 crazy nation is indeed not surprising to me anymore.

I am not advocating for Saha now since his time is now gone. I am rueing the fact that Saha’s career was cut short due to the over zealous management of Kohli and Shastri in playing Pant. He might have won us some match but more than anything, everyone knows the amount of catches and stumpings he has missed, everyone knows the irresponsible shots he has played over his little career. A National Test Team spot is not a joke to squander so many chances just because he can hoist sixes in a test match without thinking about the position of the team !!

Pant and Pandya are shining examples of T20 stars who are not cut out for red ball cricket. Any technically challenged player will never be able to survive test cricket and Pant is clearly showing us why. Look at a player like Hunuma Vihari who puts in the effort to stay at the crease, it’s the intent that counts, not some slam bang approach !!

This is the weakest South African Team in many years, imagine the scenario if Pant had shown some intent in staying at the wicket and India had a lead of around 350-400 on this wicket, the psychological advantage would have been primarily with India only !

[redCherry]

Originally Posted by Oxy

I will take a quick fire 25 runs from Pant anyday over a "responsible" 7. Some players are like that. You cannot expect Sehwag to play like Dravid for example.

Even those 25 runs are no longer a guarantee with him, it's like tossing a coin.

Moreover he's batting at no. 6 rather than No. 7, with India's 5 bowler stratergy, so that means he's batting at a responsible position.
What we see of late with him is, he plays a rash shot, no matter how precarious the team position is, we saw that yesterday, we saw it in England....

And he can't be compared with Sehwag. Although Sehwag was an aggressive player, he wasn't getting out like this, so recklessly.

What it looks like to me is, his technical weaknesses are getting exposed with good fast bowlers bowling over the wicket, and across him.
And when they do that he has no clue how to handle it, and he tries to slog out of the situation. Just watch how he was getting out few times in England series.

[msdivy]

Originally Posted by Eddy

SA winning this easy by 6 wickets

I think it's 60:40 in favor of India. The key is Elgar. It will be very difficult for him to start over again on a new day. If he goes early then it's 80:20.

Originally Posted by SoumenD

Wow!!! Pujara and Rahane are on fire today. Scoring at 5+ RPO, that’s so unlike them. They are well aware this is the do-or-die match for them and are making a solid case for themselves now.

Both of them could have done just enough to stay on for another series.