***Official*** India in South Africa 2021-22

[Teja.]

I really doubt anyone has ever had a better first 5-6 tests in terms of the context and quality of the performances. The guy is basically uphill climbing at 85 degrees in his first year of test cricket and has 21 wickets @ 20 and 4 literal match winning knocks in 5 tests. I cannot stop repeating this point.

 

[shashy]

I really doubt anyone has ever had a better first 5-6 tests in terms of the context and quality of the performances. The guy is basically uphill climbing at 85 degrees in his first year of test cricket and has 21 wickets @ 20 and 4 literal match winning knocks in 5 tests. I cannot stop repeating this point.

Again, reminiscent of early-Beefy!

 

[Daemon]

I really doubt anyone has ever had a better first 5-6 tests in terms of the context and quality of the performances. The guy is basically uphill climbing at 85 degrees in his first year of test cricket and has 21 wickets @ 20 and 4 literal match winning knocks in 5 tests. I cannot stop repeating this point.

Kyle Jamieson and Sam Curran had insane starts too

 

[Flem274*]

I really doubt anyone has ever had a better first 5-6 tests in terms of the context and quality of the performances. The guy is basically uphill climbing at 85 degrees in his first year of test cricket and has 21 wickets @ 20 and 4 literal match winning knocks in 5 tests. I cannot stop repeating this point.

KJ, but yes he's done better than anyone dared to dream in their heart of hearts. I'm not sure moneyball is the right term, but Thakur has performed far better than intuition and a quick stats analysis would suggest. He's seized his opportunities with flying colours.

I genuinely think he should be able to proper bat too. His FC average is ****house but when you watch him play there's a real batsman in there, unlike your average #8 who skates by on natural talent.

 

[h_hurricane]

I really doubt anyone has ever had a better first 5-6 tests in terms of the context and quality of the performances. The guy is basically uphill climbing at 85 degrees in his first year of test cricket and has 21 wickets @ 20 and 4 literal match winning knocks in 5 tests. I cannot stop repeating this point.

As a tribute to him, let us hope "Pu-rane" put their combined mediocrity aside and perform in the second innings.

#win-it-for-Shardul

 

[Teja.]

KJ, but yes he's done better than anyone dared to dream in their heart of hearts. I'm not sure moneyball is the right term, but Thakur has performed far better than intuition and a quick stats analysis would suggest. He's seized his opportunities with flying colours.

I genuinely think he should be able to proper bat too. His FC average is ****house but when you watch him play there's a real batsman in there, unlike your average #8 who skates by on natural talent.

KJ's raw stats are better definitely and he'll probably have a much better career overall but in his first few tests, Thakur has put in massive ****ing performances in historic away wins without which they wouldn't have been close to possible.

Thakur's effective debut in Brisbane was on the level of KJ debuting in the second test against India in India recently and taking a 7-fer and a 50 from a 150-run deficit and a completely dead situation for NZ to win the match to get NZ a series win in India.

 

[Spark]

yikes, that's nasty

 

[OverratedSanity]

Thakur has exclusively made arse saving runs or exclusively provided crucial breakthroughs with the ball. His three fifties were all as match turning as they come and he's regularly come on to bowl and taken out the opposition's best bat. Its truly insane.

I still don't think he passes the eye test as a truly excellent test cricketer but he's so far doing his best to prove I may need new glasses.

 

[Spark]

KJ's raw stats are better definitely and he'll probably have a much better career overall but in his first few test, Thakur has put in massive ****ing performances in historic away wins without which they wouldn't have been close to possible.

Without wanting to downplay what Thakur has done, Jamieson also has been picked for every game he's been available for of late - including those on really unfavourable pitches for his bowling.

As ever, getting left out of Tests when they conditions aren't clearly in your favour is a eligibility fail for me to be classed as a high quality Test cricketer. Clearly a matchwinner in the right conditions though.

 

[StephenZA]

Handled that pretty well... considering!

 

[sunilz]

Without wanting to downplay what Thakur has done, Jamieson also has been picked for every game he's been available for of late - including those on really unfavourable pitches for his bowling.

As ever, getting left out of Tests when they conditions aren't clearly in your favour is a eligibility fail for me to be classed as a high quality Test cricketer. Clearly a matchwinner in the right conditions though.

Better spinner , Paul Harris or Stuart Macgill?

 

[Spark]

Better spinner , Paul Harris or Stuart Macgill?

what

 

[artvandalay]

Thakur has exclusively made arse saving runs or exclusively provided crucial breakthroughs with the ball. His three fifties were all as match turning as they come and he's regularly come on to bowl and taken out the opposition's best bat. Its truly insane.

I still don't think he passes the eye test as a truly excellent test cricketer but he's so far doing his best to prove I may need new glasses.

Clutchness personified.

 

[Teja.]

Without wanting to downplay what Thakur has done, Jamieson also has been picked for every game he's been available for of late - including those on really unfavourable pitches for his bowling.

As ever, getting left out of Tests when they conditions aren't clearly in your favour is a eligibility fail for me to be classed as a high quality Test cricketer. Clearly a matchwinner in the right conditions though.

I am not talking about Thakur's quality as a cricketer though. Obviously KJ is a lot mroe talented and will have a much better career. I am talking about the quality of his first few tests.

 

[sunilz]

what

Harris was picked every time by SA, Macgill only in selected games. Hope you understand the context.

 

[Spark]

Harris was picked every time by SA, Macgill only in selected games. Hope you understand the context.

You do know that Macgill did have periods in his career where he was the sole spinner, yes? And that he did fine?

 

[Flem274*]

KJ's raw stats are better definitely and he'll probably have a much better career overall but in his first few tests, Thakur has put in massive ****ing performances in historic away wins without which they wouldn't have been close to possible.

Thakur's effective debut in Brisbane was on the level of KJ debuting in the second test against India in India recently and taking a 7-fer and a 50 from a 150-run deficit and a completely dead situation for NZ to win the match to get NZ a series win in India.

Without wanting to downplay what Thakur has done, Jamieson also has been picked for every game he's been available for of late - including those on really unfavourable pitches for his bowling.

As ever, getting left out of Tests when they conditions aren't clearly in your favour is a eligibility fail for me to be classed as a high quality Test cricketer. Clearly a matchwinner in the right conditions though.

Yeah, I like both of these perspectives despite them being at odds. Thakur has been hidden or considered not good enough to play every game, but when he does play he has been talismanic.

Thakur is making a proper case for starting, but he'll lose that spot for someone more interesting to the eye as soon as he goes wicketless on a flat deck. He could surprise though. Flat deck bowling is often as much about keeping patient and disciplined in your plans than your skillset (see Bangladesh right now vs England at the same ground a couple of years ago).

 

[Heboric]

Pant is becoming an Australian level irritation

 

[Spark]

I am not talking about Thakur's quality as a cricketer though. Obviously KJ is a lot mroe talented and will have a much better career. I am talking about the quality of his first few tests.

Oh yeah I'm just trying to contextualise why he might fail the "eye test", which implicitly is a "how do you think he'd do in all conditions?" test, as that's the ultimate test of a cricketer's technical skillset.

 

[Spikey]

So what's the deal with this pitch