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

silentstriker

The Wheel is Forever
My pessimism with this Indian batting lineup is so bad that I’m semi tempted to put money against India again. But except for last game, I haven’t put money against them in at least five years so I definitely don’t want it to become a habit. I’ll see how much my pessimism gets worse as the day goes on. :laugh:
 

Daemon

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Due to his own mistake. It should have been Iyer and Vihari instead of Purane. Then he would have had partners.
Pujara was fine I think.

If there's any criticism of Kohli's knock yesterday it's that he didn't try to open up and score quicker once Bumrah walked in. But he's found success with farming the strike in the past so maybe he felt he could do it again. Can't really fault him for yesterday tbh, was a great knock against immense bowling.
 

honestbharani

Whatever it takes!!!
Its very simple. The lacklustre strokes from our 6-8 has put us in a tight spot in this test. But the bowling was promising. So lets see how it goes today.
 

karan_fromthestands

State Captain
Its very simple. The lacklustre strokes from our 6-8 has put us in a tight spot in this test. But the bowling was promising. So lets see how it goes today.
Talking about Ash and Lord, these guys have good attacking shots but their defence is not something on which they can rely, making the most out of their stay at the crease and counter-attacking is their best choice. Even Bumrah and Umesh looked stupid when they were trying to defend with Kohli at the other end. If they would have played in their usual style, they would have scored some crucial runs.
 

Spark

Global Moderator
Pujara was fine I think.

If there's any criticism of Kohli's knock yesterday it's that he didn't try to open up and score quicker once Bumrah walked in. But he's found success with farming the strike in the past so maybe he felt he could do it again. Can't really fault him for yesterday tbh, was a great knock against immense bowling.
It was hard to see how farming the strike the way he was could actually result in runs being scored though. He wasn't trying to hit boundaries, really, he was just pushing at length balls into the offside and not taking the single. It definitely messed up his batting rhythm and didn't really gain anything.
 

honestbharani

Whatever it takes!!!
It was hard to see how farming the strike the way he was could actually result in runs being scored though. He wasn't trying to hit boundaries, really, he was just pushing at length balls into the offside and not taking the single. It definitely messed up his batting rhythm and didn't really gain anything.
Yeah, he has lost a lot of his attacking game in trying to achieve some sort of batting perfection since about 2019 I feel. And that compulsive forward press does not help at all. I remember G Chappell pontificating about how moving towards the ball gives you better timing or whatever to Yuvi and he was following that to a T. He ended up sucking against the short ball even though his natural game was excellent off the back foot and he never struggled against the short ball before that. He found success only when he unlearnt that crap.
 

Spark

Global Moderator
I remember G Chappell pontificating about how moving towards the ball gives you better timing or whatever to Yuvi and he was following that to a T.
In fairness this is definitely the way most Australian players are taught to play the pull shot too, and it does work at least on Australian pitches - move into the line of the ball, pull off the front foot. So it's natural that GChappell would try to teach what he knew.
 

honestbharani

Whatever it takes!!!
In fairness this is definitely the way most Australian players are taught to play the pull shot too, and it does work at least on Australian pitches - move into the line of the ball, pull off the front foot. So it's natural that GChappell would try to teach what he knew.
I assume it maybe because the natural movement for Aussie batters is back and across. But if GC thought that is how you have to coach Indians, it shows how poor a coach he was, IMO.

But the worst part is, somehow Virat is doing this to himself. Hopefully Dravid has his ears and is working on him. He is trying to achieve some level of technical perfection and aiming to be the next Sachin. He was never that good in that aspect. His best batting is usually when he lets his instincts take over, does not overcommit in his trigger movement and plays the ball as he sees it. I remember around 2012, Harsha Bhogle wrote a piece about the new Indian batting line up and how Pujara and Virat had replaced Dravid and Laxman, basically. Virat is closer to VVS than Sachin in most aspects of his batting and he needlessly lost it trying to be another Sachin.
 

silentstriker

The Wheel is Forever
Its very simple. The lacklustre strokes from our 6-8 has put us in a tight spot in this test. But the bowling was promising. So lets see how it goes today.
6-8?

five out of the top six scored 12, 15, 43 and 9……

Historically, your percentage win chance after batting first and having four out of your top five score a total of 79 runs has to be in low single digits.
 

honestbharani

Whatever it takes!!!
6-8?

five out of the top six scored 12, 15, 43 and 9……

Historically, your percentage win chance after batting first and having four out of your top five score a total of 79 runs has to be in low single digits.
Dude, 3 of the first 4 wickets fell to very good balls. And we were 140-4 at Tea. I am looking at who threw their wickets away Vs who were dismissed by good balls.
 

Spark

Global Moderator
I assume it maybe because the natural movement for Aussie batters is back and across.
I believe it's because, at least on bouncy pitches, it's a lot safer both from a cricketing shot-control POV as well as a personal safety POV if you are outside the line of the ball and therefore watching it as you naturally swivel from off to leg, and also it's more naturally going to aid you in watching the ball closely if you're moving at the ball rather than giving into your natural instincts to flinch away. It's definitely a technique that has a lot going for it.

It's actually how Kohli himself plays the shot, to great success in Australia:


You can see at 0:13 that he's actually moved into a front foot position and will get his power by pushing off the front foot at the point of contact and swivelling, and we know all about his big back and across movement. It's basically the same technique I would expect to see in an Australian player.
 

karan_fromthestands

State Captain
I assume it maybe because the natural movement for Aussie batters is back and across. But if GC thought that is how you have to coach Indians, it shows how poor a coach he was, IMO.
Not sure how to judge him as a coach. He should have been a batting coach or something instead of the head coach, he was terrible at managing people, but good at tactical stuff. The team was doing really well before the 2007 WC debacle. Like the players had pointed out, that was not a "happy" dressing room even though they were doing well on field before the WC. I guess he had great ideas but he should only been involved with the team when it came to technical aspects of the game.

"Playing five bowlers, being willing to leave out established players, making fitness a non-negotiable, encouraging players to come out of their comfort zones: if the broad ideas of the Chappell-Dravid era, and the tensions that came out of implementing them, seem eerily familiar, it's because you've seen it all happen - though probably allied with better communication - under Ravi Shastri and Virat Kohli. And that, perhaps, is Chappell's biggest legacy. "

https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/was-greg-chappell-really-a-terrible-coach-of-india-1219891
 

subshakerz

International Coach
On a separate note, is this the first time in decades that South Africa don't have a regular all-rounder in their test team, since Philander retired?
 

honestbharani

Whatever it takes!!!
Not sure how to judge him as a coach. He should have been a batting coach or something instead of the head coach, he was terrible at managing people, but good at tactical stuff. The team was doing really well before the 2007 WC debacle. Like the players had pointed out, that was not a "happy" dressing room even though they were doing well on field before the WC. I guess he had great ideas but he should only been involved with the team when it came to technical aspects of the game.

"Playing five bowlers, being willing to leave out established players, making fitness a non-negotiable, encouraging players to come out of their comfort zones: if the broad ideas of the Chappell-Dravid era, and the tensions that came out of implementing them, seem eerily familiar, it's because you've seen it all happen - though probably allied with better communication - under Ravi Shastri and Virat Kohli. And that, perhaps, is Chappell's biggest legacy. "

https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/was-greg-chappell-really-a-terrible-coach-of-india-1219891

He seems to be good at the youth level but he needs to be sorta monitored and need to ensure he does not get carte blanche with his screwy ideas. Plus the whole infighting thing within the team he basically promoted. I am not a fan. He should just run his own coaching centre and not be in any official capacity, in my view.
 

Apex Predator

State Vice-Captain
Series winner will be decided today.. If SA fails to secure a lead then I think India will win eventually. It's by a long way still SA's game to lose. They need Markram to fire today
 

Arachnodouche

International Captain
Series winner will be decided today.. If SA fails to secure a lead then I think India will win eventually. It's by a long way still SA's game to lose. They need Markram to fire today
It will be massive if SA can pull this one out of the fire. Almost has me rooting for them, as a cricket fan and because the Indians have been too scared of making the hard calls.
 

CricAddict

Cricketer Of The Year
India should go with the 7-4 combination overseas in all tests hereon till they can sort out the batting. The 4 bowlers going in should be ultra-fit to bowl the overs in the test. We cannot go with a fail-safe option every time believing one of the bowlers will break down.
 

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