Test Cricket Prediction and Discussion Thread [self - mod]

[virasog]

I cannot blame BCCI for India's poor performance. Which player of the Indian squad can you keep out of the squad? Every player on the team is talented enough. They have proved their mettle in the Indian team. Now the players are not in form, is BCCI responsible for this? The condition of the Indian team is bad now due to the poor performance of the batsmen.
The BCCI can now keep these players out of the team for a while and give new players a chance. Since they have not been in form for a long time. Besides, I don't think BCCI has anything else to do.

Yes, the board has little to do with the bad performance of the team. they can only change the captain or the few players but they can't change everyone and develop a new team. This action would be even worse. Instead of focusing on changing the talented players, the board should focus on their training and listen to them to find the hurdle as why they are unable to keep up with the form. It could be lot of cricket being played which could be the burden on them or condition / environment of South Africa does not suit them.

[Minor Miner]

It is now almost certain that India is going to be defeated. South Africa collected 148 runs. And they have not lost any more wickets today. They need only 64 runs to win.
However, India lost because of their irregular performances. I would say that such a decline in their performance is due to the weak top order. Top-order players are not in form. We didn't see any good innings from Rahul and Agarwal. The Indian bowlers did well in the first innings but failed in the second innings.

[JSRAW]

I guess this is a last series for Pujara and Rahane, not expecting them to get another chance in home season at all or may be bring Pujara back when we're travelling Australia but i doubt if there is any series planned for next couple of years.

Lord Thakur gave much needed breakthrough but i'm afraid its a lost cause now. We had our chances guys.

[Swordsoffreedom]

Australia     VS     England

Team England decided to field after winning the toss. And at the beginning of the day they were able to pick up 3 valuable wickets with just 12 runs. Warner was out for 0 off 22 balls. Usman Khawaja was out for 6 and Smith was out for zero. Now Labuschange and Head are at the crease. Their partnership is 67 runs. The funny thing is that Australia collected 66 runs in the last 10 overs. Travis Head scored 27 runs off 24 balls. His striker rate is 112.5.

Thats the beauty of Australia that they have rescue players at all level. Good news for England is that Marnus Labuschagne was bowled by Broad and not at dinner Aus are 85/4. If England can get remaining 6 wickets under 200 then England will be in good position, I still have feeling that Aus can mange 250 from here on.

After losing 3 wickets for just 12 runs, I thought maybe England would rule and win this match after poor performance in previous matches. But the scenario of the match is completely different now. Australia collected 231 runs, they lost 5 wickets. Cameroon Green is still at the crease with 70 runs. Australia has already collected enough runs to fight. If they can collect more than 320 runs, then I think Australia will win this match as well.

[galambo]

I guess this is a last series for Pujara and Rahane, not expecting them to get another chance in home season at all or may be bring Pujara back when we're travelling Australia but i doubt if there is any series planned for next couple of years.

Lord Thakur gave much needed breakthrough but i'm afraid its a lost cause now. We had our chances guys.

SA need 41 more runs with 7 wickets in hands and that very much tells the story. Before the series everyone was predicting that India will win this series very easily but it went other way around. Because IPL was not happening now all SA key players are in the team which turn the table around. India will have to wait more to win a Test series in SA.

[Maidak]

I guess this is a last series for Pujara and Rahane, not expecting them to get another chance in home season at all or may be bring Pujara back when we're travelling Australia but i doubt if there is any series planned for next couple of years.

Lord Thakur gave much needed breakthrough but i'm afraid its a lost cause now. We had our chances guys.

Rahane specially has been abysmal in this series and I wouldn't say that Pujara did a whole lot. He scored 44 in the first innings but was in shambles in the 2nd. Rahane had been a good batsman for tests in the past and so was Pujara but I think that they have left their good times way back in the past.

If I'm not wrong Pujara has better stats abroad? So maybe give him a chance or two while India plays abroad but other than that, I think it's time to look for more options..India has some great batsmen maybe the younger players should be given chance.

[JohnBitCo]

Lord Thakur gave much needed breakthrough but i'm afraid its a lost cause now. We had our chances guys.

India had hard luck in this match. They had some chances in the 2nd innings but when luck is not with you, half chances won't get availed.
One example was when Dean Elgar LBW was reviewed and he survived. It was a bit controversial decision. I am not defending Indian defeat, they did not play up to the mark but there were some bad lucks too.

[GbitG]

Lord Thakur gave much needed breakthrough but i'm afraid its a lost cause now. We had our chances guys.

India had hard luck in this match. They had some chances in the 2nd innings but when luck is not with you, half chances won't get availed.
One example was when Dean Elgar LBW was reviewed and he survived. It was a bit controversial decision. I am not defending Indian defeat, they did not play up to the mark but there were some bad lucks too.

Main problem is with batting all team out on 198 with Pant is going with 100 is really matter of shame for them now it's good time for having few changes in near future because Pujara and Rahane both fail in last year and now again here mean now it's time for giving them some rest from big matches and bring new blood for better future. In this match 212 was not good target and then having issues with DRS and fielding are also causes for defeat, but now it's all end with another poor note so time for better planning and having some good and fruitful changes for future games because its crucial time if they fail to bring some better replacement then surely they can face some more trouble for some more time with is not acceptable at this level.

[blatchcorn]

Virat has proven from tint to time that he is an immature captain and this incident again proves the same. I feel he could have been better if he could have chat with KL Rahul and Ashwin personally rather ranting out his displeasure on the stump mic. This why he is being chucked out as a captain from test cricket.

Interestingly Saeed Ajmal said same for Sachin Tendulkar lbw decision in 2011 WC semifinal but in polite manner. At that time indian media made fun of him. Now same happened with India and see how there captain reacted, poor sportsman spirit from Indian captain. I wonder if ICC will take any disciplinary action against Virat?

Dean Elgar’s DRS gaffe compared to Sachin Tendulkar’s controversy in 2011 World Cup

[Minor Miner]

Lord Thakur gave much needed breakthrough but i'm afraid its a lost cause now. We had our chances guys.

India had hard luck in this match. They had some chances in the 2nd innings but when luck is not with you, half chances won't get availed.
One example was when Dean Elgar LBW was reviewed and he survived. It was a bit controversial decision. I am not defending Indian defeat, they did not play up to the mark but there were some bad lucks too.

Main problem is with batting all team out on 198 with Pant is going with 100 is really matter of shame for them now it's good time for having few changes in near future because Pujara and Rahane both fail in last year and now again here mean now it's time for giving them some rest from big matches and bring new blood for better future. In this match 212 was not good target and then having issues with DRS and fielding are also causes for defeat, but now it's all end with another poor note so time for better planning and having some good and fruitful changes for future games because its crucial time if they fail to bring some better replacement then surely they can face some more trouble for some more time with is not acceptable at this level.

Throughout the series, we have seen India's weak batting. Fans always have high expectations from star players like them. But since the T20 World Cup, India's performance has been deteriorating. The players have not yet returned to the truck.
Now the Indian team management should make some difficult decisions. Players who are out of form should be kept out of the team for a specified period of time. New talented players need to be given a chance. Players who have lost form need to try harder to get back on track.

[LittleBitFunny]

I cannot blame BCCI for India's poor performance. Which player of the Indian squad can you keep out of the squad? Every player on the team is talented enough. They have proved their mettle in the Indian team. Now the players are not in form, is BCCI responsible for this? The condition of the Indian team is bad now due to the poor performance of the batsmen.
The BCCI can now keep these players out of the team for a while and give new players a chance. Since they have not been in form for a long time. Besides, I don't think BCCI has anything else to do.

Yes, the board has little to do with the bad performance of the team. they can only change the captain or the few players but they can't change everyone and develop a new team. This action would be even worse. Instead of focusing on changing the talented players, the board should focus on their training and listen to them to find the hurdle as why they are unable to keep up with the form. It could be lot of cricket being played which could be the burden on them or condition / environment of South Africa does not suit them.

You are right, the board should find out why the players are not playing well. Take necessary steps to motivate the players more. Players need to be more confident. India can now host a series against a weaker team like Sri Lanka or Bangladesh. Against these teams, players may be able to return to form. And with the players back in form, India's drought of performance may be over.

[teosanru]

No more panic for South Africa as they will easily cruise to victory tomorrow. I already told that era of Indian cricket dominance will slowly come to an end the after their poor performance in the T2 world cup and now you can see the results.
I don't know why the Indian fans are against  Virat Kohli ? He is not alone responsible for this defeat, it is the BCCI which needs to be blamed and boycott.

I cannot blame BCCI for India's poor performance. Which player of the Indian squad can you keep out of the squad? Every player on the team is talented enough. They have proved their mettle in the Indian team. Now the players are not in form, is BCCI responsible for this? The condition of the Indian team is bad now due to the poor performance of the batsmen.
The BCCI can now keep these players out of the team for a while and give new players a chance. Since they have not been in form for a long time. Besides, I don't think BCCI has anything else to do.

This series was a big blow to India's stake for sure. In first test they played like they have no competition and in rest of two they played as if they can't give competition. I think team India has faced such bad phases for a lot of times now already, suddenly all the best players go out of form and then BCCI brings in some new players from the bench who play really well but then the older folks come back in form to fill the slots, a few are able to get back their slots while rest are dropped. But India as a team does comes out of this phase. Anyone who is saying India's dominance is going to end hasn't seen the upcoming talent pool of India and the U-19, U-17 cricket tournaments in India.

[Vaskiy]

No more panic for South Africa as they will easily cruise to victory tomorrow. I already told that era of Indian cricket dominance will slowly come to an end the after their poor performance in the T2 world cup and now you can see the results.
I don't know why the Indian fans are against  Virat Kohli ? He is not alone responsible for this defeat, it is the BCCI which needs to be blamed and boycott.

I cannot blame BCCI for India's poor performance. Which player of the Indian squad can you keep out of the squad? Every player on the team is talented enough. They have proved their mettle in the Indian team. Now the players are not in form, is BCCI responsible for this? The condition of the Indian team is bad now due to the poor performance of the batsmen.
The BCCI can now keep these players out of the team for a while and give new players a chance. Since they have not been in form for a long time. Besides, I don't think BCCI has anything else to do.

This series was a big blow to India's stake for sure. In first test they played like they have no competition and in rest of two they played as if they can't give competition. I think team India has faced such bad phases for a lot of times now already, suddenly all the best players go out of form and then BCCI brings in some new players from the bench who play really well but then the older folks come back in form to fill the slots, a few are able to get back their slots while rest are dropped. But India as a team does comes out of this phase. Anyone who is saying India's dominance is going to end hasn't seen the upcoming talent pool of India and the U-19, U-17 cricket tournaments in India.

Every player going out of form is really bad. It is time for the board to think better about the future tournaments and take necessary measures. If not similar games will continue with the upcoming series too. More potential players are waiting, but Indian cricket selection criteria is something different from the rest of the board. It isn't easy to get in through performance, it also requires reference in my opinion. However the seniors are giving way to the junior players through some means, which means the low level of play will keep few players away from the upcoming matches.

[JSRAW]

Lord Thakur gave much needed breakthrough but i'm afraid its a lost cause now. We had our chances guys.

India had hard luck in this match. They had some chances in the 2nd innings but when luck is not with you, half chances won't get availed.
One example was when Dean Elgar LBW was reviewed and he survived. It was a bit controversial decision. I am not defending Indian defeat, they did not play up to the mark but there were some bad lucks too.

Yeah that decision was very crucial but it happens all the time, some decision goes your way and some don't, its all part of the game. Saffa batters out batted our batters completely and middle order performance from both side was major difference.

Head must roll in middle order.

I think now its safe to say that no WTC final for India this time. They are left with 9 more matches and i doubt if they are going to win all of em (4 are against Australia). India won last 3 BGT but we know how competitive OZ were when they last visited India.

Edit

Ravichandran Ashwin did not bowl that much in the entire series because the pitch was not spinner friendly either, since the batting was struggling they should have added another batsman who could bowl a few overs of spin.

Read somewhere that Ashwin was the first spinner to take wicket there in last 3 years or so. Sounds ridiculous

[eaLiTy]

~
This series was a big blow to India's stake for sure. In first test they played like they have no competition and in rest of two they played as if they can't give competition. I think team India has faced such bad phases for a lot of times now already, suddenly all the best players go out of form and then BCCI brings in some new players from the bench who play really well but then the older folks come back in form to fill the slots, a few are able to get back their slots while rest are dropped. 

Too much experimentation might be the reason, in the first match, KL Rahul played a wonderful innings and that is the reason India was able to score a good total and win the match, in the next two matches there were individual performances but the batting failed as a unit and the bowlers cannot win matches from impossible situations  .

Ravichandran Ashwin did not bowl that much in the entire series because the pitch was not spinner friendly either, since the batting was struggling they should have added another batsman who could bowl a few overs of spin.

[pakhitheboss]

I cannot blame BCCI for India's poor performance. Which player of the Indian squad can you keep out of the squad? Every player on the team is talented enough. They have proved their mettle in the Indian team. Now the players are not in form, is BCCI responsible for this? The condition of the Indian team is bad now due to the poor performance of the batsmen.
The BCCI can now keep these players out of the team for a while and give new players a chance. Since they have not been in form for a long time. Besides, I don't think BCCI has anything else to do.

Yes, the board has little to do with the bad performance of the team. they can only change the captain or the few players but they can't change everyone and develop a new team. This action would be even worse. Instead of focusing on changing the talented players, the board should focus on their training and listen to them to find the hurdle as why they are unable to keep up with the form. It could be lot of cricket being played which could be the burden on them or condition / environment of South Africa does not suit them.

You are right, the board should find out why the players are not playing well. Take necessary steps to motivate the players more. Players need to be more confident. India can now host a series against a weaker team like Sri Lanka or Bangladesh. Against these teams, players may be able to return to form. And with the players back in form, India's drought of performance may be over.

I still doubt whether Pujara or Rahane will return to form. They have proven so many times that they should be kicked out of the team but unfortunately, Indian selectors have shown that they do not have anyone in that position but these two. I doubt whether they would be replaced in the upcoming series. 

[Sithara007]

I still doubt whether Pujara or Rahane will return to form. They have proven so many times that they should be kicked out of the team but unfortunately, Indian selectors have shown that they do not have anyone in that position but these two. I doubt whether they would be replaced in the upcoming series. 

The question is not whether they will return to form or not. The real question is whether they deserve so many chances, at a time when a lot of talented youngsters are waiting for their chances. IMO, they should be asked to prove their mettle in the domestic competitions before even being considered for the national team selection. I don't understand why the selectors are persisting with these two players who are facing mid-life crisis. Giving so many chances to younger players would make sense. But providing them to someone in their mid 30s is illogical.

[RealMalatesta]

The real question is whether they deserve so many chances, at a time when a lot of talented youngsters are waiting for their chances. IMO, they should be asked to prove their mettle in the domestic competitions before even being considered for the national team selection. I don't understand why the selectors are persisting with these two players who are facing mid-life crisis. Giving so many chances to younger players would make sense. But providing them to someone in their mid 30s is illogical.

It seemed total India batting itself not delivered any consistency. After the first test match, India opening pair failed to provide any significant good start. Middle orders hit only one 50+ score out of 6 innings (Kohl- one half century in 4 innings and Pant 1 century in 6 innings). In low order both Ashwin and Sharadul Takur failed to provide any significant contribution. They were deliberately missing Jadeja for lower order batting depth.

In bowling, Mohammed Siraj's injury was a concern in second match and the replacement was expected to be Ishant Sharma but Kohli opted Umesh Yadav but he picked wickets only in first innings. Overal,l India's overseas owes still continues regardless of recent good shows in Australia and England.

[blatchcorn]

It seemed total India batting itself not delivered any consistency. After the first test match, India opening pair failed to provide any significant good start. Middle orders hit only one 50+ score out of 6 innings (Kohl- one half century in 4 innings and Pant 1 century in 6 innings). In low order both Ashwin and Sharadul Takur failed to provide any significant contribution. They were deliberately missing Jadeja for lower order batting depth.

In bowling, Mohammed Siraj's injury was a concern in second match and the replacement was expected to be Ishant Sharma but Kohli opted Umesh Yadav but he picked wickets only in first innings. Overal,l India's overseas owes still continues regardless of recent good shows in Australia and England.

It's Indian batting that need to be blamed for this series loss. Most of times they were bowled out around 200 runs, of course you can't expect miracles from bowlers if you score 200 runs. India may have many telalented players in there reserve pool but you can't replace all of ur major players with new one. The worrying thing is kohli is also not in form, what bcci will do about that?

[Sithara007]

England seems to be sliding towards another defeat in the 5th and final test at Hobart. They conceded a lead of 115 in the first innings, as their batsmen failed to put up a total in excess of 200. Anyway, David Warner got out for a duck in the second innings, nabbed by Stuart Broad. And just now, Marnus Labuschagne got out with Chris Woakes getting the wicket. But with such a massive lead, Australia may not be much bothered. They just need to set up a target of 240-250, and for that another 120 runs are more than enough.