This is at most of the times a common issue with the home team bundling up the opposition no matter by what margin they do it. And, this time South Africa were no different when they had Sri Lanka tumbling with a lag of 209 runs against the home team with one more wicket still to go. South Africa have in the recent past played some decent cricket with them outplaying India last year and then recently against Australia when they grabbed a 8 wicket win despite having been bowled out for 96 runs in the first innings. This was in Australia and not at home.
With the situation the South Africans are now in, it looks as though an innings win for them is high on the cards. There are three more days of play left in the game with Sri Lanka needing atleast 300 runs more than what the South Africans manage in the first innings in case they need to keep their hopes of saving the test alive. At present, with the South African scorecard reading 389 runs, assuming that they lose their last and final wicket with no more addition of runs, Sri Lanka as per calculation need atleast 689 runs to tame the hosts.
It is not an undisputed fact that a total of 689 is highly difficult though history has seen several such games where a team makes a surprise comeback after being shattered in the first innings. The best example for this would be the Kolkata test between India and Australia where Australia bundled out India for 171 only to see them lose the game after Steve Waugh imposed a follow-on. That match was famous for Laxman's 281 and Harbhajan Singh's Hat-trick. But, that test was played by India at home. Things cannot be assumed to be the same had the same been played away.
Similarly, I can recall Kamran Akmal and Asif Kamal spoiling India's party when they held the nerve in the Delhi test after India had taken a lead of 204 runs powered by Virender Sehwag's 173. The match that should have been won by India happened to end in a draw. Now, keeping in mind the batting line up of Sri Lanka, a miracle can be possible but with other factors also supporting the same. They have Mahela Jayawardane, Samaraweera, Sangakkara etc who can show some hopes with the bat. But, once again the problem lies in their bowling which can be self-destructing.
Showing posts with label A B de Villiers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label A B de Villiers. Show all posts
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Saturday, March 26, 2011
No choker, only inefficient tag
I don't think the chokers tag is well suited for South Africa since the 2003 world cup when they were hardly the team that anybody would have wanted to beat. I can still remember the then South African captain-Shaun Pollock being given an over short in their 1st game against West Indies which was solely South Africa's fault for maintaining a slow over rate bowling first. And then there was the match against New Zealand where though South Africa managed a satisfactory 307 provided by Herschelle Gibbs, Stephen Fleming's men also had equal zest in them to fight it out on the field.
New Zealand were given a revised target of 229 runs from 39 overs which was still over run a ball. All odds supported New Zealand despite South Africa having scored a 300+ total for, the Kiwis lost just one wicket en route to their successful run chase. The last was the game against Sri Lanka where a wrong signal from the stands ended the match in a draw and with it the South African dream not only in the world cup but also to reach the super sixes. Sri Lanka did their part of the game best by not relying on their wins against West Indies and New Zealand alone.
Atapattu did a fab job scoring 124* from 118 balls showing equal fight rather than just being a team that would cash out from the bad luck that the Proteas are believed to be cursed with. So was the case in 2007 when South Africans were far from being the favorites. With a miserable loss to Australia twice that included a complete surrender to Glenn McGrath in the semi-finals and New Zealand along with a clueless loss to Bangladesh, it was lack of the presence of India and Pakistan that saw South Africa in the semi-finals. I just cannot tell you My view on anything and everything under the sun.
The South Africans were favorites to win the cup only in the 1996 and 1999 editions where they had beaten all opponents in the league stages until they lost the plot in the knock out games against West Indies and Australia. This time, the South Africans have to consider themselves lucky to have ended up as the top team beating India and West Indies. A loss against England chasing 173 cannot be justified and neither can the loss yesterday against the Kiwis with the likes of Smith, deVilliars and Kallis. South Africa are gifted with the most promising squad even better than Sri Lanka and India. But, lack of commitment needs a heavy payment.
New Zealand were given a revised target of 229 runs from 39 overs which was still over run a ball. All odds supported New Zealand despite South Africa having scored a 300+ total for, the Kiwis lost just one wicket en route to their successful run chase. The last was the game against Sri Lanka where a wrong signal from the stands ended the match in a draw and with it the South African dream not only in the world cup but also to reach the super sixes. Sri Lanka did their part of the game best by not relying on their wins against West Indies and New Zealand alone.
Atapattu did a fab job scoring 124* from 118 balls showing equal fight rather than just being a team that would cash out from the bad luck that the Proteas are believed to be cursed with. So was the case in 2007 when South Africans were far from being the favorites. With a miserable loss to Australia twice that included a complete surrender to Glenn McGrath in the semi-finals and New Zealand along with a clueless loss to Bangladesh, it was lack of the presence of India and Pakistan that saw South Africa in the semi-finals. I just cannot tell you My view on anything and everything under the sun.
The South Africans were favorites to win the cup only in the 1996 and 1999 editions where they had beaten all opponents in the league stages until they lost the plot in the knock out games against West Indies and Australia. This time, the South Africans have to consider themselves lucky to have ended up as the top team beating India and West Indies. A loss against England chasing 173 cannot be justified and neither can the loss yesterday against the Kiwis with the likes of Smith, deVilliars and Kallis. South Africa are gifted with the most promising squad even better than Sri Lanka and India. But, lack of commitment needs a heavy payment.
Monday, June 28, 2010
South Africa could have done much better
Just when I was going through the PINOY BLOGGER REVIEWS I was reminded by the news channels about the 2nd day's play of the 3rd test between South Africa and the West Indies which obviously is held in the upperhand by the Proteas. But, with such a weak opposition the batting display of the South Africans which included the likes of Jacques Kallis, Ashwell Prince, A B devilliars etc should have been much better unlike their day ending with just 285 on the board adding just another 239 runs on the board after ending day 1 at 46/2 after dismissing the hosts for 231.
As mentioned in my yesterday's post, if at all South Africa can boast of something great, it is their achievement in the test matches against teams like West Indies, Bangladesh etc. Though occasionally South Africa have had success against Australia and India, their real strength lies in games against West Indies. But, a total of just 285 with the loss of 6 wickets is far too little compared to what is being expected out of them. South Africa have a solid line up in their batting department with Jacques Kallis heading the list followed by Prince, Smith, Devilliars etc all of whom can surprise anyone.
On the otherhand, the West Indies have the world's worst bowling display though their batting department have players like Chris Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shivnarine Chanderapaul etc who can save some face for their team. But, their bowling department is starving since 2000 after the retirement of bowlers like Curtly Ambrose, Courtney Walsh, Ian Bishop and Roger Harper who were deadly on their days. Winning a match has been guessed and anticipated well in advance even before the series was decided but the way it would be won is always a wait game and winning that game takes precedence than to just finish it off formally.
With the caliber that the present South African team is having, they should have won both the first and the second tests by an innings rather than winning the former by 163 runs and drawing the latter. Had it been India or Australia, both the matches would have been won by an innings one can suppose. This is the test that tests the real myth of a team and faring badly could send out signals to other teams against which their next test series is due. More than ending the 2nd day at 285/6, losing 2 wickets before the first day's play got over speaks much about the South African batting caliber. And, who knows who Alviro Petersen is?
As mentioned in my yesterday's post, if at all South Africa can boast of something great, it is their achievement in the test matches against teams like West Indies, Bangladesh etc. Though occasionally South Africa have had success against Australia and India, their real strength lies in games against West Indies. But, a total of just 285 with the loss of 6 wickets is far too little compared to what is being expected out of them. South Africa have a solid line up in their batting department with Jacques Kallis heading the list followed by Prince, Smith, Devilliars etc all of whom can surprise anyone.
On the otherhand, the West Indies have the world's worst bowling display though their batting department have players like Chris Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shivnarine Chanderapaul etc who can save some face for their team. But, their bowling department is starving since 2000 after the retirement of bowlers like Curtly Ambrose, Courtney Walsh, Ian Bishop and Roger Harper who were deadly on their days. Winning a match has been guessed and anticipated well in advance even before the series was decided but the way it would be won is always a wait game and winning that game takes precedence than to just finish it off formally.
With the caliber that the present South African team is having, they should have won both the first and the second tests by an innings rather than winning the former by 163 runs and drawing the latter. Had it been India or Australia, both the matches would have been won by an innings one can suppose. This is the test that tests the real myth of a team and faring badly could send out signals to other teams against which their next test series is due. More than ending the 2nd day at 285/6, losing 2 wickets before the first day's play got over speaks much about the South African batting caliber. And, who knows who Alviro Petersen is?
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Enough....but not enough!
Well for all those cricket freaks who are into the ongoing first match of the test series between South Africa and the West Indies, here it is. Cricinfo is a better site to tell you what exactly happened on the 2nd day of the test at Antigua but, my views about the test and the day as well differ slightly. However, the view does not dispute the fact that the two Bs who were there to entertain the crowd who come to watch their favourite game cricket without favoring wither of the teams namely South Africa and West Indies out there.
However, the second day though belonging to the Proteas, some share was taken by the home team as well not only for Sulieman Benn who captured four more wickets after the first day's effort which saw him take the wicket of Hashim Amla and with that the tally of his wickets in the innings reached the magical figure of 5. Despite all odds, Sulieman Benn showed the cricketing world that he can do better things than on field spats with both his teammates and opponents as well. No one expects the West Indies to win the game and that too against South Africa.
But, as a home team, fans can nonetheless support their country though not deserving and the only satisfaction they take home would be that they put up a better performance compared to their previous one. And this time as well, the West Indies were found doing just that when they not only bowled out South Africa for a score just below 350 but also got them back in the pavilion on the second day itself. Speaking precisely, the game didn't last for two days, with only 34 overs being able to be bowled on the first day. Anyways, that is a different issue of what happened on day 1.
If the West Indies continue their good work from here onwards, one can expect a miracle to happen. This would shake all betting freaks who would have bet all their money on the Proteas taking the West Indies for granted which they deserve. It is indeed a more than decent performance from the West Indies' side when they bowled the South Africans for a score just above 350 as mentioned above. However, the Proteas still have the match well in their hands for, the bowling from the South African part is way ahead compared to that from the West Indians.
They have bowlers of the ranks of Morne Morkel, Dale Steyn and others for whom the West Indies have no answer, both as a batting unit or as a bowling one. Though there are bowlers like Benn and Bravo, they can lest be treated on par with some Hussain from Bangladesh team and not with even a part time bowler from South Africa like say Graeme Smith or Jacques Kallis. So, keeping these things in mind, one can conclude that the West Indies' performance as a bowling unit is enough to reduce the margin of defeat but not win a test match.
However, the second day though belonging to the Proteas, some share was taken by the home team as well not only for Sulieman Benn who captured four more wickets after the first day's effort which saw him take the wicket of Hashim Amla and with that the tally of his wickets in the innings reached the magical figure of 5. Despite all odds, Sulieman Benn showed the cricketing world that he can do better things than on field spats with both his teammates and opponents as well. No one expects the West Indies to win the game and that too against South Africa.
But, as a home team, fans can nonetheless support their country though not deserving and the only satisfaction they take home would be that they put up a better performance compared to their previous one. And this time as well, the West Indies were found doing just that when they not only bowled out South Africa for a score just below 350 but also got them back in the pavilion on the second day itself. Speaking precisely, the game didn't last for two days, with only 34 overs being able to be bowled on the first day. Anyways, that is a different issue of what happened on day 1.
If the West Indies continue their good work from here onwards, one can expect a miracle to happen. This would shake all betting freaks who would have bet all their money on the Proteas taking the West Indies for granted which they deserve. It is indeed a more than decent performance from the West Indies' side when they bowled the South Africans for a score just above 350 as mentioned above. However, the Proteas still have the match well in their hands for, the bowling from the South African part is way ahead compared to that from the West Indians.
They have bowlers of the ranks of Morne Morkel, Dale Steyn and others for whom the West Indies have no answer, both as a batting unit or as a bowling one. Though there are bowlers like Benn and Bravo, they can lest be treated on par with some Hussain from Bangladesh team and not with even a part time bowler from South Africa like say Graeme Smith or Jacques Kallis. So, keeping these things in mind, one can conclude that the West Indies' performance as a bowling unit is enough to reduce the margin of defeat but not win a test match.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Better but not enough from WI
Well since the start of the bilateral series between the West Indies and South Africa, there has always been an improvement from the West Indies from match to match which has seen them lose rather less miserably compared to hat had happened to them in the earlier match. And, this time as well in the fourth one day match between the two nations mentioned, the West Indies for the first time in this tournament posted a total in excess of 300 but to no avail when they still lost the match to the Proteas by 7 wickets thus making it four in a row.
Atleast after their loss in the third one day, the West Indies were expected to bounce back and save some face by winning the remaining two inconsequential match against South Africa. But, one of them has already been lost by the West Indies and there is one more to go which still favors the Proteas than the West Indians. The match reached the ultimate delivery of the match which the West indies team could have still cashed in upon. But, that never seemed so for the West indies who can only win against any non test playing nation or worst come Bangladesh.
On the other side of the cricketing world, the Zimbabwe team which loses matches against even Bangladesh is seen beating India despite India posting a total of 289 on the board. With the present day West Indies team being so hungry to lose, the remaining teams can well reserve all their experimenting with the West Indies rather than Bangladesh or any other non test playing nation. One has to imagine how come the West Indies managed a win against India in the super eights of the world T20 held in their home a couple of weeks back! Is it their home team advantage that gave them the edge?
In the previous game, which was the last chance for the West Indies to save the series, they had bowled the South Africans to a below par total of 224 but failed to chase down the same when they lost all their wickets for a score less than 175. And this time, despite posting a total in excess of 300, they failed to defend it. So, one has to imagine where on earth does the West Indies go wrong? They fail to defend a huge total when batting first and also fail to chase a mere total when bowling first. Forget about defending the total, they could not take more than three South African wickets.
Such improvement does not guarantee a place for the teammates. Is Chris Gayle there?
Atleast after their loss in the third one day, the West Indies were expected to bounce back and save some face by winning the remaining two inconsequential match against South Africa. But, one of them has already been lost by the West Indies and there is one more to go which still favors the Proteas than the West Indians. The match reached the ultimate delivery of the match which the West indies team could have still cashed in upon. But, that never seemed so for the West indies who can only win against any non test playing nation or worst come Bangladesh.
On the other side of the cricketing world, the Zimbabwe team which loses matches against even Bangladesh is seen beating India despite India posting a total of 289 on the board. With the present day West Indies team being so hungry to lose, the remaining teams can well reserve all their experimenting with the West Indies rather than Bangladesh or any other non test playing nation. One has to imagine how come the West Indies managed a win against India in the super eights of the world T20 held in their home a couple of weeks back! Is it their home team advantage that gave them the edge?
In the previous game, which was the last chance for the West Indies to save the series, they had bowled the South Africans to a below par total of 224 but failed to chase down the same when they lost all their wickets for a score less than 175. And this time, despite posting a total in excess of 300, they failed to defend it. So, one has to imagine where on earth does the West Indies go wrong? They fail to defend a huge total when batting first and also fail to chase a mere total when bowling first. Forget about defending the total, they could not take more than three South African wickets.
Such improvement does not guarantee a place for the teammates. Is Chris Gayle there?
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Anything else Mr.Chris Gayle?
The West Indian cricketers as well as fans would have now got used to losing matches or may they have got used to the same long back and it is now been realized by me. Whatever, it has to be considered as the ill fate of world cricket that a team that has had three world cup finals out of which they have won two against the strongest nations of that time is now found itself in shambles. One cannot recall the last time they came above Bangladesh or Zimbabwe in one day cricket and above Bangladesh in test cricket.
May be in the coming future, Bangladesh is going to overtake West Indies in both tests as well as ODIs. It should not matter to the West Indies Cricket Board as to whom it is playing as no matter which team travels to which country, the result is the same. West Indies lose the match by so many runs or so many wickets. And then West Indies lose the series something-0. This is the West Indies team which has had three ICC champions trophy finals which no other team in the world has been able to do. Not even by Australia.
In the beginning of the tournament, the West Indies captain Chris Gayle had threatened his fellow teammates of losing their spot in the squad in case they fail to show a decent performance. It is no doubt that the performance of the West Indies team is found to improve match by match when every match sees the West Indies team losing by a smaller margin compared to their loss in the previous game they played. This time as well, for the 1st time in this series, the West Indies were able to bowl out the Proteas well before the 50 overs.
But, the other side of the coin is also that the West Indies team lost all their 10 wickets against South Africa for the third consecutive time in this series. For the first time in this series, the West Indies team were able to bowl out the South Africans for a score less than 250. And also for the first time in this series, the West Indies lost all their ten wickets for a score less than 200 and just above 150. A line of 175 on the board would be ideal to judge the West Indies, which would still see them fall short by 18 runs.
May be in the coming future, Bangladesh is going to overtake West Indies in both tests as well as ODIs. It should not matter to the West Indies Cricket Board as to whom it is playing as no matter which team travels to which country, the result is the same. West Indies lose the match by so many runs or so many wickets. And then West Indies lose the series something-0. This is the West Indies team which has had three ICC champions trophy finals which no other team in the world has been able to do. Not even by Australia.
In the beginning of the tournament, the West Indies captain Chris Gayle had threatened his fellow teammates of losing their spot in the squad in case they fail to show a decent performance. It is no doubt that the performance of the West Indies team is found to improve match by match when every match sees the West Indies team losing by a smaller margin compared to their loss in the previous game they played. This time as well, for the 1st time in this series, the West Indies were able to bowl out the Proteas well before the 50 overs.
But, the other side of the coin is also that the West Indies team lost all their 10 wickets against South Africa for the third consecutive time in this series. For the first time in this series, the West Indies team were able to bowl out the South Africans for a score less than 250. And also for the first time in this series, the West Indies lost all their ten wickets for a score less than 200 and just above 150. A line of 175 on the board would be ideal to judge the West Indies, which would still see them fall short by 18 runs.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Another thriller by SA-WI
Well as I mentioned in a post a couple of days back regarding the thrillers in matches involving West Indies and South Africa, especially after their 1 run loss at the hands of the Proteas, here comes another exciting thriller if the newspapers are to be believed. And here as well, the match saw the West Indies batsmen putting up a decent score on the board when they ended their batting innings with 283 runs on the board. This total no matter was 17 runs less than what the South African batsmen had piled up and was 18 runs short of a victory.
But, as far as the West Indian batsmen are considered, the match would have given them much relief when they as usual reduced the margin of defeat and then also there was a batsman from the West Indies side who threatened to snatch the game from the Proteas when Sammy scored 58 runs from 24 balls at a strike rate of 241. This is rare in the West Indies side who can only gift their opposition or surrender meekly. Darren Sammy hit 6 hits out of the ground which was equal to the total number of sixes hit by anyone else from both the sides.
The match saw 12 sixes, out of which 6 were hit by Sammy alone as mentioned. The remaining contribution came from Chris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo who hit 1 and 2 sixes respectively. Then from the South African side, A B Devilliers hit one six and the new batsman who playing his second one dayer - David Miller hit two of them equalling the number hit by the West Indies' batsmen minus Darren Sammy. Once again Hashim Amla was awarded the man of the match this time rather deserving for his top score in the innings of 92 that included 7 fours though without any sixes.
This time the West Indian batsmen did what they were supposed to do in their last game at Antigua when they played 48 overs. This time the West Indies' innings lasted for one ball more than 48 overs but without any different result. And the West Indies captain didn't go in for 8 overs and insisted in bringing in just 7 of them. As mentioned earlier, the margin of defeat for the West Indies also was reduced to 17 runs as against the 66 run defeat they suffered a couple of days back. There were 3 batsmen from the WI side who returned with scores in excess of 50.
For more details here it is!
But, as far as the West Indian batsmen are considered, the match would have given them much relief when they as usual reduced the margin of defeat and then also there was a batsman from the West Indies side who threatened to snatch the game from the Proteas when Sammy scored 58 runs from 24 balls at a strike rate of 241. This is rare in the West Indies side who can only gift their opposition or surrender meekly. Darren Sammy hit 6 hits out of the ground which was equal to the total number of sixes hit by anyone else from both the sides.
The match saw 12 sixes, out of which 6 were hit by Sammy alone as mentioned. The remaining contribution came from Chris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo who hit 1 and 2 sixes respectively. Then from the South African side, A B Devilliers hit one six and the new batsman who playing his second one dayer - David Miller hit two of them equalling the number hit by the West Indies' batsmen minus Darren Sammy. Once again Hashim Amla was awarded the man of the match this time rather deserving for his top score in the innings of 92 that included 7 fours though without any sixes.
This time the West Indian batsmen did what they were supposed to do in their last game at Antigua when they played 48 overs. This time the West Indies' innings lasted for one ball more than 48 overs but without any different result. And the West Indies captain didn't go in for 8 overs and insisted in bringing in just 7 of them. As mentioned earlier, the margin of defeat for the West Indies also was reduced to 17 runs as against the 66 run defeat they suffered a couple of days back. There were 3 batsmen from the WI side who returned with scores in excess of 50.
For more details here it is!
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Lucky Pakistan
Well as usual, South Africa have always been at the receiving end of the bad luck, ill fate or mis fortune - whichever you call. But, this time in addition to the Proteas being unlucky, the opposition namely Pakistan were found to be lucky when they made it to the semi finals of the world T20 tournament despite losing two matches in the super eights of the mega tournament. Luck struck Pakistan twice on the same single day, first when they won the game against South Africa and second when England beat New Zealand by 3 wickets (the margin of victory or loss being of little importance here).
Though South Africa were considered as favorites before heading to the match against Pakistan, there is no reason as to why the Pakistanis should not beat them. In fact, Pakistan stood a better chance of wining the game than the South Africans not only for beating them in the previous world cup last year but also owing to the fact that Pakistan stand a better position when it comes to big hitting compared to the Proteas. This is evident from the fact that South Africa still rely upon the age old Jacques Kallis who no doubt falls short when it comes to making the crease while stealing a single.
Though there are the likes of A B Devilliars and Graeme Smith in the South African team, they can make contact with the ball only once in every bluemoon. No doubt that Devilliars is gifted with the ability to hit big shot out of the ground but with the condition that the bat makes contact with the ball which is a rarity in Devilliars' case. Scorecard suggests that Devilliars hit 2 sixes enroute to his 53 which eventually proved to be the highest individual score in the South African innings. But, rather than calling it a decent contribution, it can be referred to as a result of a blind swing of the bat by Devilliars.
Of course, the Pakistani hard hitting batsman Shahid Afridi also belongs to the same category and more than that can be considered as the daddy of them all. But, the other side of the coin also suggests that Shahid Afridi has the ability to spin the ball equivalently like any genuine spinner like say Saqlain Mushtaq or Harbhajan Singh. As a matter of statistics, this is the first time that in a T20 world cup South Africa are eliminated from the world cup not for losing their first match. One can remember the way the Proteas crashed out of the tournament earlier when they lost to India in 2007 and Pakistan in 2009, both of which were their 1st losses in the series.
Though South Africa were considered as favorites before heading to the match against Pakistan, there is no reason as to why the Pakistanis should not beat them. In fact, Pakistan stood a better chance of wining the game than the South Africans not only for beating them in the previous world cup last year but also owing to the fact that Pakistan stand a better position when it comes to big hitting compared to the Proteas. This is evident from the fact that South Africa still rely upon the age old Jacques Kallis who no doubt falls short when it comes to making the crease while stealing a single.
Though there are the likes of A B Devilliars and Graeme Smith in the South African team, they can make contact with the ball only once in every bluemoon. No doubt that Devilliars is gifted with the ability to hit big shot out of the ground but with the condition that the bat makes contact with the ball which is a rarity in Devilliars' case. Scorecard suggests that Devilliars hit 2 sixes enroute to his 53 which eventually proved to be the highest individual score in the South African innings. But, rather than calling it a decent contribution, it can be referred to as a result of a blind swing of the bat by Devilliars.
Of course, the Pakistani hard hitting batsman Shahid Afridi also belongs to the same category and more than that can be considered as the daddy of them all. But, the other side of the coin also suggests that Shahid Afridi has the ability to spin the ball equivalently like any genuine spinner like say Saqlain Mushtaq or Harbhajan Singh. As a matter of statistics, this is the first time that in a T20 world cup South Africa are eliminated from the world cup not for losing their first match. One can remember the way the Proteas crashed out of the tournament earlier when they lost to India in 2007 and Pakistan in 2009, both of which were their 1st losses in the series.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Momentum is with RSA
It is needless to be said that a team that has taken an initial lead in the test series be it anywhere on earth will definitely have the momentum and the pressure would obviously be on the opposition. This is more so in the case where the series is a two match affair and a win in the first test would guarantee the opposition atleast a level in the series in case they lose the 2nd test. This is what the Proteas enjoy at the moment, with South Africa taking an unbeatable lead in the series , a loss in the 2nd test would only see them level the series and a draw would ensure a series win for the Proteas.
However, some positives that South Africa enjoyed in the first test that was played at Nagpur, which might not be the case at Kolkata should also have been taken by A B de Villiers before making any such comment. India were without a second wall (after Rahul Dravid) in V V S Laxman who is termed to be fit for the second test at Kolkata starting day after on Sunday. The second point is that the Kolkata pitch is hinted to be a turning track, playing on which can be a nightmare for the batsmen from South Africa, which will surely haunt them this time as well.
Though there is hardly any noted spinner in the Indian squad for the exception of Harbhajan Singh, Harbhajan Singh is alone enough to put pressure upon the South African batsmen. Moreover, there is Zaheer Khan, who can bring fresh nightmares for atleast Graeme Smith if not for anything else for, Zaheer Khan has been seen getting Smith out in the past 5 tests and 8 innings that were played. The most recent one where Smith was taken by Zaheer being in the Nagpur test. It was the same venue where South Africa lost to India where Harbhajan Singh took 7 wickets in the 2nd innings and 2 in the first.
In that match in 2004, spinners took 13 out of the 20 South African wickets, with all 10 wickets in the 2nd South African innings going to the spinners Anil Kumble and Harbhajan. In 2008, South Africa succumbed to India's bowling in the 3rd test at Kanpur, with needless to be said spinners made the most of the South African batsmen's weakness. It was after South Africa won the 2nd test at Ahmedabad that they lost the 3rd test at Kanpur by 8 wickets. Moreover, the Kanpur test lasted for just 3 days, with the South African 2nd innings lasting just 55.5 overs and 121 runs long. Now, one can guess the momentum that A B de Villiers thinks his team to be enjoying!
However, some positives that South Africa enjoyed in the first test that was played at Nagpur, which might not be the case at Kolkata should also have been taken by A B de Villiers before making any such comment. India were without a second wall (after Rahul Dravid) in V V S Laxman who is termed to be fit for the second test at Kolkata starting day after on Sunday. The second point is that the Kolkata pitch is hinted to be a turning track, playing on which can be a nightmare for the batsmen from South Africa, which will surely haunt them this time as well.
Though there is hardly any noted spinner in the Indian squad for the exception of Harbhajan Singh, Harbhajan Singh is alone enough to put pressure upon the South African batsmen. Moreover, there is Zaheer Khan, who can bring fresh nightmares for atleast Graeme Smith if not for anything else for, Zaheer Khan has been seen getting Smith out in the past 5 tests and 8 innings that were played. The most recent one where Smith was taken by Zaheer being in the Nagpur test. It was the same venue where South Africa lost to India where Harbhajan Singh took 7 wickets in the 2nd innings and 2 in the first.
In that match in 2004, spinners took 13 out of the 20 South African wickets, with all 10 wickets in the 2nd South African innings going to the spinners Anil Kumble and Harbhajan. In 2008, South Africa succumbed to India's bowling in the 3rd test at Kanpur, with needless to be said spinners made the most of the South African batsmen's weakness. It was after South Africa won the 2nd test at Ahmedabad that they lost the 3rd test at Kanpur by 8 wickets. Moreover, the Kanpur test lasted for just 3 days, with the South African 2nd innings lasting just 55.5 overs and 121 runs long. Now, one can guess the momentum that A B de Villiers thinks his team to be enjoying!
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