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

[Kirkut]

Does the same not apply to any of the people you've mentioned who're supposedly capable of taking wickets at any time? That they're just putting pressure on batters who can't handle it all that well? Is that not just a normal habit all bowlers have, to put pressure on those batting to force errors and wickets, rather than anything special that belongs to only a few bowlers? Feels like you want a conclusion to work backwards from rather than the other way around.

Not to forget that Cummins and Hazlewood were unable to get Vihari and Ashwin out in Sydney. And Gabba of course.

How about a decent batting line up from WI chasing down 400+ score against Australia?

 

[Arachnodouche]

Rahul is getting so much flak for his body language & meek attitude but opening with Ashwin under lights I guess would be Dravid's call for sure. I haven't enjoyed whatever I have seen from him in this short stint so far.

We're going from Shastri+Kohli i.e. ultra-bluster and bravado, to an era with Dravid at the helm. Who, fair to say, was never known for his aggression (unless it's the zen type alluded to by Hayden) while batting or during his brief stint as captain. It's going to be an interesting transition.

 

[honestbharani]

We're going from Shastri+Kohli i.e. ultra-bluster and bravado, to an era with Dravid at the helm. Who, fair to say, was never known for his aggression (unless it's the zen type alluded to by Hayden) while batting or during his brief stint as captain. It's going to be an interesting transition.

I honestly think Virat-Dravid can be a best of both worlds partnership for us, as long as Virat is not made to tone down how he plays his cricket.

 

[Slifer]

Off topic but if it's one thing I'd say about this Indian team is that they're resilient. I fully expect them to come back hard in the decider much like they did vs Oz.

 

[trundler]

Off topic but if it's one thing I'd say about this Indian team is that they're resilient. I fully expect them to come back hard in the decider much like they did vs Oz.

Sounds pretty on topic to me

 

[Test Master]

Watch Steyn vs Tendulkar Cape Town and come back to me... the number of bowlers that would have produced that spell are few, the number of batsmen to withstand that are also few. I understand its an extreme example, but it gets the point across.

Having watched this series and Dale's entire career I can say without doubt that it was one of his best spells. Tendulkar's mastery of Steyn and Morkel in 2010 (who were both in their prime) has not been replicated by any touring batsmen since .

That being said I'd give second place to Michael Clarke's magnificent century against a fire breathing Steyn and Morkel in 2011 in SA on a land mine pitch.

Third place would also go to Clarke for the 100+ score in 2014 in Cape town after being hit with some GENUINELY quick bouncers from steyn and Morkel.

South Africa's current attack should not be mentioned in the same breath. They have not tested India in the slightest.

I would say India have a much better team than SA. India's attack as it stands, if one had to critique it, is not one that would be considered as an All TIME GREAT attack.

Shami bumrah and Siraj need to bowl together for at least 3 more years to be properly assessed.

In that space of 3 years some placid pitches would have to dished out to truly test their greatness. The great attacks will run through a batting line up on a dead pitch on more than 1 occasion. The quality of batsmen they are bowling to also has to come into the equation. Indias attack are on the right track if these 3 lads can stay together and maintain match winning performances.



The word great is thrown around to lightly these days for my liking it must be earned.

 

[Chrish]

I don’t understand where these comments of “SA batting is really strong” coming from? They literally have a batting crisis at their hand. Most recent game was an exception, not the norm.

I am not trying to take anything away from their brilliant performance btw. But saying they are strong and have got the number of Indian bowlers is akin to wrist-slitting. Their batsmen have a lot of a potential and their bowling is top-notch. But I wouldn’t call their batting “strong”; not even close. I don’t think they have any batsmen currently averaging 40+ for example.

 

[Prince EWS]

I don’t understand where these comments of “SA batting is really strong” coming from? They literally have a batting crisis at their hand. Most recent game was an exception, not the norm.

I am not trying to take anything away from their brilliant performance btw. But saying they are strong and have got the number of Indian bowlers is akin to wrist-slitting. Their batsmen have a lot of a potential and their bowling is top-notch. But I wouldn’t call their batting “strong”; not even close. I don’t think they have any batsmen currently averaging 40+ for example.

Elgar does (just), but yeah agree anyway.

 

[cricketsavant]

Having watched this series and Dale's entire career I can say without doubt that it was one of his best spells. Tendulkar's mastery of Steyn and Morkel in 2010 (who were both in their prime) has not been replicated by any touring batsmen since .

That being said I'd give second place to Michael Clarke's magnificent century against a fire breathing Steyn and Morkel in 2011 in SA on a land mine pitch.

Third place would also go to Clarke for the 100+ score in 2014 in Cape town after being hit with some GENUINELY quick bouncers from steyn and Morkel.

South Africa's current attack should not be mentioned in the same breath. They have not tested India in the slightest.

I would say India have a much better team than SA. India's attack as it stands, if one had to critique it, is not one that would be considered as an All TIME GREAT attack.

Shami bumrah and Siraj need to bowl together for at least 3 more years to be properly assessed.

In that space of 3 years some placid pitches would have to dished out to truly test their greatness. The great attacks will run through a batting line up on a dead pitch on more than 1 occasion. The quality of batsmen they are bowling to also has to come into the equation. Indias attack are on the right track if these 3 lads can stay together and maintain match winning performances.



The word great is thrown around to lightly these days for my liking it must be earned.

Terrific post!

I always felt India would win this series, and the second test was snatching victory from the jaws of defeat, so I do not think SA can perform like this again.

SAs batting line up is shockingly poor, it is the weakest line up I have ever seen from them and overall, possibly the weakest SA team of the last 30 years. India on the other hand have one of their best ever test sides but the bowling is not great. It is very good, very well thought-out and mechanical but not great. They have a long way to go before they can prove that.

 

[Xix2565]

India on the other hand have one of their best ever test sides but the bowling is not great. It is very good, very well thought-out and mechanical but not great. They have a long way to go before they can prove that.

It is the best bowling lineup we've had ever, wtf? Wtf is mechanical but not great even supposed to mean?

 

[Test Master]

It is the best bowling lineup we've had ever, wtf? Wtf is mechanical but not great even supposed to mean?

I agree this is India's greatest pace attack. Over the last 2 years they have shown good discipline and aggression. What the cricketsevant probably means is that they haven't joined the pantheon of ATG pace attacks just yet, still a way to go.

 

[Xix2565]

I agree this is India's greatest pace attack. Over the last 2 years they have shown good discipline and aggression. What the cricketsevant probably means is that they haven't joined the pantheon of ATG pace attacks just yet, still a way to go.

That's just debating over the bar to be ATG, which I didn't think about reading that.

 

[Shri]

I agree this is India's greatest pace attack. Over the last 2 years they have shown good discipline and aggression. What the cricketsevant probably means is that they haven't joined the pantheon of ATG pace attacks just yet, still a way to go.

no one's saying this is an atg pace attack

they are so far from it but they don't have to be atg to win

 

[Daemon]

no one's saying this is an atg pace attack

they are so far from it but they don't have to be atg to win

They are better than peak Aus/WI easy

 

[Test Master]

no one's saying this is an atg pace attack

they are so far from it but they don't have to be atg to win

Yes absolutely.

 

[Test Master]

They are better than peak Aus/WI easy

Lol good one! ?

 

[cricketsavant]

It is the best bowling lineup we've had ever, wtf? Wtf is mechanical but not great even supposed to mean?

Wow, calm down

It's one of India's best seam attacks, maybe the best but it lacks the variety that Khan, Kumble and Singh had at one stage. Neither Ashwin nor Jadeja are even top class away spinners let alone great, Jadeja in particular is very poor outside of Asia.

However, there have been far better overall bowling attacks, WI in the late 70s and most of the 80s, Pakistan throughout the 80s and part of the 90s, Aus in the mid to late 90s and early 00s, SA in the late 00s to mid 2010s.

I think any objective cricket fan can see this. However, they all work very well as a team, hence two triumphs Down Under but I can't imagine similar successes against the better Aus sides of the past, nor against the better Saffer sides either...heck, the bowling attack was not that different in 2018 when India lost 2-1...with the series dead by the end of the second test. It just so happens BUmrah, Shami, Ashwin, Sharma (he may get a chance to play again) all went up against superior batters, as opposed to the rubbish SA put out these days.

So viewed in context, this is not a great bowling attack by historic international standards, but certainly upper echelon by India standards. That's not a bad thing, as the highest level of bowling attacks were extremely good.

 

[trundler]

Wow, calm down

It's one of India's best seam attacks, maybe the best but it lacks the variety that Khan, Kumble and Singh had at one stage. Neither Ashwin nor Jadeja are even top class away spinners let alone great, Jadeja in particular is very poor outside of Asia.

However, there have been far better overall bowling attacks, WI in the late 70s and most of the 80s, Pakistan throughout the 80s and part of the 90s, Aus in the mid to late 90s and early 00s, SA in the late 00s to mid 2010s.

I think any objective cricket fan can see this. However, they all work very well as a team, hence two triumphs Down Under but I can't imagine similar successes against the better Aus sides of the past, nor against the better Saffer sides either...heck, the bowling attack was not that different in 2018 when India lost 2-1...with the series dead by the end of the second test. It just so happens BUmrah, Shami, Ashwin, Sharma (he may get a chance to play again) all went up against superior batters, as opposed to the rubbish SA put out these days.

So viewed in context, this is not a great bowling attack by historic international standards, but certainly upper echelon by India standards. That's not a bad thing, as the highest level of bowling attacks were extremely good.

This is just nostalgic bollocks.

 

[OverratedSanity]

They are better than peak Aus/WI easy

Ffs daemon series loss confirmed

 

[Xix2565]

Wow, calm down

It's one of India's best seam attacks, maybe the best but it lacks the variety that Khan, Kumble and Singh had at one stage. Neither Ashwin nor Jadeja are even top class away spinners let alone great, Jadeja in particular is very poor outside of Asia.

However, there have been far better overall bowling attacks, WI in the late 70s and most of the 80s, Pakistan throughout the 80s and part of the 90s, Aus in the mid to late 90s and early 00s, SA in the late 00s to mid 2010s.

I think any objective cricket fan can see this. However, they all work very well as a team, hence two triumphs Down Under but I can't imagine similar successes against the better Aus sides of the past, nor against the better Saffer sides either...heck, the bowling attack was not that different in 2018 when India lost 2-1...with the series dead by the end of the second test. It just so happens BUmrah, Shami, Ashwin, Sharma (he may get a chance to play again) all went up against superior batters, as opposed to the rubbish SA put out these days.

So viewed in context, this is not a great bowling attack by historic international standards, but certainly upper echelon by India standards. That's not a bad thing, as the highest level of bowling attacks were extremely good.

Wtf is this idiocy? This is unsubstantiated bull****. You've got nothing but "things were better in the old days for Indian bowling" (because we're all idiots who don't see how this Indian bowling lineup is superior through their records), "here are some ATG/ATVG attacks" (as if their existence somehow means this lineup isn't great) and "oh SA had better batters in 2018" (okay?).

No need for you to try and pretend that this Indian bowling lineup isn't great, their record speaks for themselves. And it wasn't like Test Master said they were ATGs either, so don't pull that bell either.