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[dextrous]

i have a feeling that India will win the test series even if RD, VVS, YS are not playing. Also, looks like SRT got hurt too .. this will be interesting if it happens.

Since I don't believe we will have rank turners, I will be mighty surprised if we win against SA. Mr. Amla is going to reclaim the infamous Dean Jones  moniker, because he is going to murder us. And Steyn and Morkel are going to break through Gambhir and Sehwag consistently.

Why won't we make turners? In fact that's our biggest advantage against SA.

[keep-it-cool]

i have a feeling that India will win the test series even if RD, VVS, YS are not playing. Also, looks like SRT got hurt too .. this will be interesting if it happens.

Since I don't believe we will have rank turners, I will be mighty surprised if we win against SA. Mr. Amla is going to reclaim the infamous Dean Jones  moniker, because he is going to murder us. And Steyn and Morkel are going to break through Gambhir and Sehwag consistently.

Why won't we make turners? In fact that's our biggest advantage against SA.

No reason why we should not but I dont remember any big turner in recent times other than the Kanpur wicket. If we dont win the toss, we could be in for a long leather hunt.

[sudzz]

i have a feeling that India will win the test series even if RD, VVS, YS are not playing. Also, looks like SRT got hurt too .. this will be interesting if it happens.

Since I don't believe we will have rank turners, I will be mighty surprised if we win against SA. Mr. Amla is going to reclaim the infamous Dean Jones  moniker, because he is going to murder us. And Steyn and Morkel are going to break through Gambhir and Sehwag consistently.

Why won't we make turners? In fact that's our biggest advantage against SA.

No reason why we should not but I dont remember any big turner in recent times other than the Kanpur wicket. If we dont win the toss, we could be in for a long leather hunt.

Given the time of year the ball will swing appreciably in the first session and probably the last session of each day even on rank turner at Steyns and Morkels pace that should be sufficient to do us in.

I can't recollect Nagpur being a rank turner (it will be low and slow but turner not too sure), with Eden one cannot say because the pitch is new if Iam not wrong?

[Cover Point]

i have a feeling that India will win the test series even if RD, VVS, YS are not playing. Also, looks like SRT got hurt too .. this will be interesting if it happens.

Since I don't believe we will have rank turners, I will be mighty surprised if we win against SA. Mr. Amla is going to reclaim the infamous Dean Jones  moniker, because he is going to murder us. And Steyn and Morkel are going to break through Gambhir and Sehwag consistently.

Why won't we make turners? In fact that's our biggest advantage against SA.

thats up to the bengalis isnt it? Choice again to be a desh bhakt. lets see what they choose 

[gouravk]

i expect both kolkata and nagpur to be fair sporting wickets. i predict a 1-1 draw.

[sudzz]

I predict a nil nil draw, reason being both sides are batsmen heavy and will probably struggle to get 20 wickets.

[Cover Point]

I predict a nil nil draw, reason being both sides are batsmen heavy and will probably struggle to get 20 wickets.

both though have ability to collapse

[RicePlateReddy]

India should play SA on turning tracks: Kapil

http://cricket.rediff.com/report/2010/jan/30/india-should-play-sa-on-turning-tracks-kapil.htm

Observing that Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men don't possess a formidable fast bowling line-up, except for left-arm paceman Zaheer Khan, Kapil said India should rely on their spin department in the home series.

"Our strength is spin bowling and the wickets for the upcoming two Tests have to be prepared accordingly. Also, we don't have a quality pacer other than Zaheer Khan right now who can make an impact," Kapil said.

"There is no point in having a pitch, which assists fast bowlers more than the spinners since South Africa has a much better pace attack in comparison to the hosts," Kapil said during a panel discussion on Aaj Tak.

[poondu]

                            
   Indian Board President's XI 1st innings    R    M    B    4s    6s    SR
   A Mukund    c Duminy b Steyn    8    30    21    2    0    38.09
   
   PA Patel†    c Smith b M Morkel    8    24    18    1    0    44.44
   
   AM Rahane    c M Morkel b Parnell    12    58    27    1    0    44.44
   
   RG Sharma*    c Harris b Parnell    20    44    37    3    0    54.05
   
   MK Pandey    not out    43    44    39    5    2    110.25
   
   CA Pujara    not out    16    36    28    3    0    57.14
   
   Extras    (lb 4, nb 2)    6                
                  
   Total    (4 wickets; 28 overs)    113    (4.03 runs per over)
To bat S Dhawan, AM Nayar, MS Gony, R Ashwin, A Mithun, PP Chawla, R Vinay Kumar, U Yadav
Fall of wickets1-20 (Patel, 5.4 ov), 2-22 (Mukund, 6.5 ov), 3-53 (Sharma, 16.4 ov), 4-56 (Rahane, 18.2 ov)
                        
   Bowling    O    M    R    W    Econ       
   DW Steyn    6    2    14    1    2.33       
   
   M Morkel    5    0    17    1    3.40       
   
   LL Tsotsobe    6    2    20    0    3.33    (1nb)    
   
   WD Parnell    5    1    15    2    3.00    (1nb)    
   
   PL Harris    6    0    43    0    7.16    

Pandey off to a good start..Others have sucked

[dextrous]

pandey has some serious potential

[keep-it-cool]

Silly on Neo's part not to show this live!

They are covering the Duleep Trophy final though ..which, incidentally, is being played in Hyderabad in an empty stadium because the Hyd govt or cricket association has barred public from entering the stadium

[keep-it-cool]

230/6 now.

Pandey and Pujara fall at roughly the same scores.

Nayar (59* in 85) and Dhawan (45* in 84) launch a recovery.

[keep-it-cool]

BP XI all out for 318. Nayar scores 100 & Dhawan 70

SA end the day on 44/0

[ramshorns]

After the initial flurry of the first 22-23 overs died down when the main bowlers got a decent spell out none of the top 4 did anything of note for the BP XI.   I cannot take much after that excepting say a Nayar down the order made most out of the afternoon session when in a total 8-9 bowlers operated.  I am sure SA's will be happy from what they got out of this outing.  First day on the field with all the players getting a chance to get their feet wet and then on Day 2 all of their batters will get a chance to get used to the conditions.  They will be well prepared under the circumstance.  Could not have asked for better.  On a side note it will be interesting to see how Mithun does with the ball.  I would at the most give him 10 overs spread over two spells on day 2  so that he gets a chance to let the nerves out and at the same time not give the SA's too much of a practice playing him.   That would strike a perfect balance.  Let us see what happens.

[12th_Man]

SAF-354- Kallis and Amla RH.



Bowling O M R W Econ   
 R Vinay Kumar 13 3 33 0 2.53 (2nb) 
 
 A Mithun 15 2 56 1 3.73   
 
 R Ashwin 18 0 96 3 5.33   
 
 PP Chawla 18 2 88 4 4.88   
 
 MS Gony 9 1 29 0 3.22 (1nb) 
 
 U Yadav 7 1 42 0 6.00   
 
 AM Nayar 2 0 5 0 2.50

[dhruvdeepak]

why rohit sharma ahead of kohli or raina?!

[keep-it-cool]

anyway after KKD's dual centuries in the DT final, we he get the nod ahead of rohit in case laxman does not make it?

[Cover Point]

Australia may not get to play the South Africa tests

http://www.cricinfo.com/indvrsa2010/content/current/story/446831.html


Rohit called up as cover for Laxman
Cricinfo staff
February 4, 2010
Text size: A | A
 
Rohit Sharma is part of the squad after concerns over VVS Laxman's injury © Cricinfo Ltd
Related Links
News : Injured Laxman out of Bangladesh series
Players/Officials: MS Dhoni | VVS Laxman | Rohit Sharma
Series/Tournaments: South Africa tour of India
Teams: India
The Indian selectors have called up Rohit Sharma to the squad for the first Test against South Africa as cover for VVS Laxman. Laxman hasn't fully recovered from the finger injury he sustained while fielding during the first Test against Bangladesh in Chittagong last month.

Captaining the Indian Board President's XI in the tour game against the South Africans, Rohit managed just 20 but was delighted with his selection. "It feels good that I've been asked to stay back...Bahut hi achcha lag raha hai (I'm feeling great)," he told the Kolkata-based Telegraph.

This is the first time Rohit is part of the Test squad since the 2008 visit to Sri Lanka. He was in fine form during the Ranji Trophy this season, making 527 at 87.83, including a highest of 309* against Gujarat.

Meanwhile, Laxman skipped the team's fielding practice on Wednesday afternoon, but did have a bat at the nets.

India will be sweating over the injuries that have dogged the side of late - key batsmen Rahul Dravid, Yuvraj Singh and fast bowler Sreesanth have already been ruled out of this match.

Captain MS Dhoni, though, looked to have recovered fully from the back spasms which forced him to miss the Chittagong Test. "One can't have any control over injuries. Obviously, we'll miss Dravid. It's like a captain having no control at all over the toss."

[12th_Man]

Mr. KKD has scored  333 runs in last 3- 4 days against bowlers like IKP,Kulkarni,Slavi,Jadeja,YP,RPowar.
HYD to Nagpur is quick flight. In absense of three stalwarts, my preference earlier was KKD and remains the same way irrespecitve of his current dual centuries.
KKD has played as pure batsman in ODI'S. Actually I was surprised at his dropping and Saha getting picked up. I also don't hold MSD very high in the way he has handled KKD. With the current workload, MSD should continue to rest once a while and let KKD share the load.
Anyway a MO of
VS,GG,MV,SRT,RS,BADRI,MSD
VS,GG,MV,SRT,BADRI,DK,MSD

Once you are in middle scoring runs for this long, you walk back in the field in next few days thinking you have never left the field. I hope selectors can somehow squeeze KKD in at last moment.

[12th_Man]

ICC rankings
India need a draw to stay No. 1
Cricinfo staff

February 4, 2010


http://www.cricinfo.com/indvrsa2010/content/current/story/446867.html

India need only draw with South Africa in the upcoming two-match series to retain the No. 1 spot in the ICC Test rankings. But if they lose the series, being billed as a world championship bout, they stand to lose the US$175,000 the ICC gives to the team that is on top come April 1.

MS Dhoni's India go into the series with 125 points, five ahead of Graeme Smith's South Africa, whom they displaced at the top of the pile on December 6 with a 2-0 Test series win over Sri Lanka.
A 1-0 win will lift India to 127 points and push South Africa to 118 ratings points; a 2-0 result will drop South Africa to 116 points, for which they will receive $75,000 from the ICC.

Having made clear their intentions to recapture the No. 1 ranking when they defeated Australia in a Test series for the first time in 16 years last summer, South Africa need to win 1-0 to do so, which will take them to 123 points and see India drop to 122. If South Africa sweep the series they will rise to 125 points and India fall to 120.
They have won just two of their past eight Tests, four of which were against Australia, and their inability to register a series victory over England at home recently kept them from taking the top spot.

Australia are ranked third and, though they are touring New Zealand, have no chance of moving to the top.

In other ranking opportunities, Smith and Gautam Gambhir, the Indian opener, will battle it out for the No. 1 spot for Test batsmen. Gambhir is in first position, 39 points ahead of Smith, but a lean series could see him lose his place.

[RicePlateReddy]

i have a feeling that India will win the test series even if RD, VVS, YS are not playing. Also, looks like SRT got hurt too .. this will be interesting if it happens.

Since I don't believe we will have rank turners, I will be mighty surprised if we win against SA. Mr. Amla is going to reclaim the infamous Dean Jones  moniker, because he is going to murder us. And Steyn and Morkel are going to break through Gambhir and Sehwag consistently.

All iz well!

[Cover Point]

i have a feeling that India will win the test series even if RD, VVS, YS are not playing. Also, looks like SRT got hurt too .. this will be interesting if it happens.

Since I don't believe we will have rank turners, I will be mighty surprised if we win against SA. Mr. Amla is going to reclaim the infamous Dean Jones  moniker, because he is going to murder us. And Steyn and Morkel are going to break through Gambhir and Sehwag consistently.

All iz well!

OR as KIC said on Facebook, "all IN Well"

[LosingNow]

i have a feeling that India will win the test series even if RD, VVS, YS are not playing. Also, looks like SRT got hurt too .. this will be interesting if it happens.

Since I don't believe we will have rank turners, I will be mighty surprised if we win against SA. Mr. Amla is going to reclaim the infamous Dean Jones  moniker, because he is going to murder us. And Steyn and Morkel are going to break through Gambhir and Sehwag consistently.

All iz well!

LOL!!

[12th_Man]

i have a feeling that India will win the test series even if RD, VVS, YS are not playing. Also, looks like SRT got hurt too .. this will be interesting if it happens.

Since I don't believe we will have rank turners, I will be mighty surprised if we win against SA. Mr. Amla is going to reclaim the infamous Dean Jones  moniker, because he is going to murder us. And Steyn and Morkel are going to break through Gambhir and Sehwag consistently.

All iz well!

LOL!!

yeah .. good one. Talk abt prediction. Steyn, Amla,GG  - right on money. VS while was out with a rash shotin second, got away with a century in 1st.

[gouravk]

excellent prediction. i still do believe we can come back strongly in the second test esp if the 3 injured players come back.