Firebreaker
Banned
India is such a boring Test team to watch.None of the players are exciting apart from Kohli.
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***Official*** India in South Africa 2017/18
- Thread starter SeamUp
- Start date
What excitement do you want? Tell me.
SeamUp
International Coach
Very exciting.
We can't pretend there isn't a risky element going with the 6/5 split but if anything a placid Newlands pitch that will offer something with the new ball and little else after it would make most sense to do it there.
You then reassess from there going to the Highveld. Personally I reckon Kesh playing at the Wanderers might not happen. It is the ground where we've been happy to go an all-seamer attack.
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Woodster
International Captain
You think it's going to be pretty placid then mate after an early burst with the new ball ?
SeamUp
International Coach
Just think with our weather conditions there won't be excessive lateral movement. It isn't a reverse swing ground (always conventional) but I wonder with how dry the outfield is if that may change things.
Philander and Steyn are the masters of getting everything out of a Newlands pitch so it will be interesting viewing but generally at Newlands you have to work for wickets at this time of year. What I am going to find most interesting is the bounce. Pitch has got slightly quicker and steeper bounce at Newlands last few seasons.
Obviously spin has become a lesser threat in this time (normally day 4 and day 5 you need your spinner at Newlands) but does the weather in build up to the test change things ? I'm not so sure. I think the groundsman changed the pitch prep at the ground for less deterioration.
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Woodster
International Captain
A dry outfield may well assist a bit of reverse, although the pitch itself by all accounts won't be too abrasive due to the good covering of live grass so that may play a part in hindering any hopes of reverse.
Yes, I can't remember whose tweet I saw today with a picture showing the grass on the pitch but also saying the track was rock hard so plenty of bounce expected. Could be exciting stuff, glad I booked the day off work!
OverratedSanity
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Good from Faf that he understands that a green seamer will bring India into the game. Would've been an easy mistake to make after the rank turners they got in India to go "We'll prepare greentops #revenge" which could have backfired massively.
Going to be a ridiculously tough series, and I can see a few hammerings, but still so hyped.
Going to be a ridiculously tough series, and I can see a few hammerings, but still so hyped.
Black_Warrior
Cricketer Of The Year
SA tend to generally play 7-4 with their first choice team since Kallis left.
Black_Warrior
Cricketer Of The Year
Faf sounds like a pretty level headed guy and I'm sure he remembers that India's two test victories here came when their bowlers got help to destroy SA's batting. You will be stupid to give Bhuvnesh Kumar a green mamba.
And if you have Steyn and Rabada, you don't need extra assistance. Steyn has skills to swing the ball anywhere and Rabada has the extra pace and bounce. I would want a pacy wicket because that's the one thing Indian seamers don't use very well. They have from time to time bowled on green tops at home.
Faf is a smart man. He wants fast bouncy tracks for india and slow seaming tracks for Aus.
Can't for the game to start.
StephenZA
Hall of Fame Member
Agree 100% and I advocate this on most occasions. 6 best batsmen, wk, 4 bowlers. Things though have changed for SA, we have for the first time all our top bowlers available. QDK as the established wk is also one of the top 6 batsmen in the country, and hindsight being perfect sight, Markram should have been playing 18 months ago and with the return of ABdV to the team; thus makes the top 6 is helluva a lot more solid than it has been for awhile. So the question becomes do you play Morris, Steyn (/Morkel) or Bavuma. I like Bavuma and he is by far the best close fielder in the team, Morris is not good enough on either one of his disciplines for Test cricket IMO, but ultimately only one of those guys can rip a team apart in a session and turn a game. That's who you play. Hence the 6/5 split being the best option for SA in general. If any one of our main speedsters was injured I would probably play Bavuma over Morris or Olivier.
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They have rarely if ever had all their bowlers & ab available thought. So not sure how much one can read into past selections.
Dendarii
International Debutant
But they've got a new coach, who may have a different philosophy. And as has been pointed out, they've got all four quicks available. That hasn't happened much, if at all, and if it did it was with the old Morkel and not the new one who is in possibly the best form of his career right now.
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kykweer.proteas
International Debutant
Here we go!
I must say, my interest in cricket has been bleh in the last year. I hope there are good crowds this weekend.
Thinking of going to wanderers myself.
I must say, my interest in cricket has been bleh in the last year. I hope there are good crowds this weekend.
Thinking of going to wanderers myself.
kykweer.proteas
International Debutant
It will probably dry out very very quickly,
SeamUp
International Coach
Not the usual 30 degree days in CT but with the wind and weather build up I think so too.