Test Cricket Prediction and Discussion Thread [self - mod]

[AB de Royse777]

Looks like India winning this match has made a few members happy 
Royse because of winning his bet 

Well yeah, I am happy for the double selection I made and I am not sure if anyone else picked on it too. I think tomorrow I will do some gambling too depending on the mood. :-P

and Sasirajavu because he doesn't have to shave to shave his head  

What was it with Sasirajavu ? I really missed the fun of all these cricketing topics.

[vella85]

South Africa had no chance after losing early wickets, they couldn't put any partnerships together to even try and play for the draw. Ashwin has had an amazing career so far as in this match he tied with Muralitharan for the fastest to 350 wickets which took just 66 test matches. Could we see Ashwin overtake Muralitharan in the next 10 years? With the way he is bowling it wouldn't surprise me to see this happen.

[ene1980]

South Africa had no chance after losing early wickets, they couldn't put any partnerships together to even try and play for the draw. Ashwin has had an amazing career so far as in this match he tied with Muralitharan for the fastest to 350 wickets which took just 66 test matches. Could we see Ashwin overtake Muralitharan in the next 10 years? With the way he is bowling it wouldn't surprise me to see this happen.

South Africa is not a good team to perform that well in subcontinent wickets and Ashwin bowled really well in the first innings and Jadeja in the second innings but i was impressed with Mohammed Shami in the second innings where he was able to pick 5 wickets in a dead wicket in India and that too in the final day of the match is quite impressive, he was able to land the ball exactly in the cracks in the pitch and was able to extract the advantage and hence he was able to trouble all the batsman and that is how he was able to pick all the wickets is impressive.

[eaLiTy]

What was it with Sasirajavu ? I really missed the fun of all these cricketing topics.

Here is the thread that gives you an idea about the funny conversation. . erikalui said that South Africa will win the match easily while SR said that he will shave his head if they will win chasing the huge total  .

@Sasirajavu i really wish to see your curly looks gone  
I know you were sure that the chances of South Africa were minimal when taking this challenge, but still you want to take up a challenge here makes me laugh .

Ashwin has had an amazing career so far as in this match he tied with Muralitharan for the fastest to 350 wickets which took just 66 test matches. Could we see Ashwin overtake Muralitharan in the next 10 years? With the way he is bowling it wouldn't surprise me to see this happen.

Ashwin is an exceptional talent but Muralitharan was on a different level in my opinion and the longevity he had was impressive and he was performing to his best till his final over before retiring from cricket, if Ashwin is able to perform like that in the next five years, it would be equally impressive.

[Sithara007]

South Africa had no chance after losing early wickets, they couldn't put any partnerships together to even try and play for the draw. Ashwin has had an amazing career so far as in this match he tied with Muralitharan for the fastest to 350 wickets which took just 66 test matches. Could we see Ashwin overtake Muralitharan in the next 10 years? With the way he is bowling it wouldn't surprise me to see this happen.

At his peak, Murali was like a one man army for Sri Lanka. He was single handedly responsible for many of their wins. You can't compare Murali with Ashwin (although both of them speak the same language  ). Murali was able to perform on any type of surface, while Ashwin got almost 80% of his test wickets in India and Sri Lanka. Murali got most of his wickets against strong sides such as Australia and England, while for Ashwin a large part of the wickets came against teams such as Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.

But it is true that he has at least 6-7 years remaining in his international career, as he is just 33 years old. Nowadays it is not very uncommon to find spinners in their late 30s and even early 40s representing international teams. Imran Tahir of South Africa is 40, while Fawad Ahmed is 37. Mohammad Hafeez is 39 and he is still playing well.

[SaShiRaJaVu]

What was it with Sasirajavu ? I really missed the fun of all these cricketing topics.

It was a funny banter when one of our member said that South Africa will easily chase the score of 390 runs on the final day, no team will chase a score of 280 runs on the final day in India that easily let alone 390 runs and hence i said i will shave my head if they are able to defeat India . Surviving the final day to draw the match in India is a hard task let alone trying to chase the score.

@Sasirajavu i really wish to see your curly looks gone  

No further comments  . I don't mind doing so if that makes you happy  .

[Haunebu]

i was impressed with Mohammed Shami in the second innings where he was able to pick 5 wickets in a dead wicket in India and that too in the final day of the match is quite impressive, he was able to land the ball exactly in the cracks in the pitch and was able to extract the advantage and hence he was able to trouble all the batsman and that is how he was able to pick all the wickets is impressive.

This was what impressed me as well. The manner in which Shami bounced back in all formats of the game even with the current personal legal issues that he is dealing with is spectacular and he could replace Bhuvi if he continues bowling in this manner in the long term.

You can't compare Murali with Ashwin (although both of them speak the same language  ). Murali was able to perform on any type of surface, while Ashwin got almost 80% of his test wickets in India and Sri Lanka. Murali got most of his wickets against strong sides such as Australia and England, while for Ashwin a large part of the wickets came against teams such as Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.

Wrong. It doesn't matter where a bowler picks wickets. What matters more is what team the wickets are from and Ashwin has consistently taken wickets from high quality sides like Australia to low quality sides. He is already a legend in the Indian bowling department and he has the potential to surpass Murali if he continues taking wickets in the long-term.

[onrise]

South Africa had no chance after losing early wickets, they couldn't put any partnerships together to even try and play for the draw. Ashwin has had an amazing career so far as in this match he tied with Muralitharan for the fastest to 350 wickets which took just 66 test matches. Could we see Ashwin overtake Muralitharan in the next 10 years? With the way he is bowling it wouldn't surprise me to see this happen.

South Africa is not a good team to perform that well in subcontinent wickets and Ashwin bowled really well in the first innings and Jadeja in the second innings but i was impressed with Mohammed Shami in the second innings where he was able to pick 5 wickets in a dead wicket in India and that too in the final day of the match is quite impressive, he was able to land the ball exactly in the cracks in the pitch and was able to extract the advantage and hence he was able to trouble all the batsman and that is how he was able to pick all the wickets is impressive.

I think Indian bowlers came back really strongly after the first innings and this helped them to clinch some quick wickets in second innings which actually helped India to win the test match . Else till 4th day second session match was heading towards the draw likely the way SA team batted in first innings was splendid .

[JSRAW]

Don't get surprise with Shami's performance, he has a history of taking wickets during the second innings when situation demands. his strike rate confirms this statement. If you want to thanks then give thumbs up to Captain Kohli because sometimes he thinks out of the box and India lose the opportunity  but this time he tossed the ball towards shami. India didn't had much choice though  .

[SaShiRaJaVu]

He is already a legend in the Indian bowling department and he has the potential to surpass Murali if he continues taking wickets in the long-term.

There is no doubt that Ashwin is one of the best bowlers India had and he has four centuries alongside his haul of wickets and can be considered as an all rounder and if he is able to perform consistently then he might break many records but to perform at the same level for a long time is a big task and when it comes to Murali he is the only bowler who is capable of taking wickets in any pitches around the world and bowled majority of the overs and he is a special talent. Shane Warne and Murali are in a league of their own and no one can compare these two legendary spinners.

[MFahad]

South Africa had no chance after losing early wickets, they couldn't put any partnerships together to even try and play for the draw. Ashwin has had an amazing career so far as in this match he tied with Muralitharan for the fastest to 350 wickets which took just 66 test matches. Could we see Ashwin overtake Muralitharan in the next 10 years? With the way he is bowling it wouldn't surprise me to see this happen.

South Africa is not a good team to perform that well in subcontinent wickets and Ashwin bowled really well in the first innings and Jadeja in the second innings but i was impressed with Mohammed Shami in the second innings where he was able to pick 5 wickets in a dead wicket in India and that too in the final day of the match is quite impressive, he was able to land the ball exactly in the cracks in the pitch and was able to extract the advantage and hence he was able to trouble all the batsman and that is how he was able to pick all the wickets is impressive.

I think Indian bowlers came back really strongly after the first innings and this helped them to clinch some quick wickets in second innings which actually helped India to win the test match . Else till 4th day second session match was heading towards the draw likely the way SA team batted in first innings was splendid .

It was mainly possible because of one Indian bowler "Mohammed Shami" who took 5 wickets along with RA Jadeja taking 4 wickets to wrap up the SA 2nd second innings and the match.
SA did play well in the first innings but didn't look comfortable in the 2nd innings. They need to focus on their bowling also because they cannot let India make 400+ runs as it gives too much pressure on their batsmen.

The 2nd Test is started on 10 October at Pune and the SA needs to rectify their mistakes and prepare for it.

[7788bitcoin]

It was mainly possible because of one Indian bowler "Mohammed Shami" who took 5 wickets along with RA Jadeja taking 4 wickets to wrap up the SA 2nd second innings and the match.

Mohammed Shami bowled an outstanding spell and took wickets on the dead Indian wickets and as JSRAW pointed out he is a second innings specialist and his bowling average and strike rate in the second innings is incredible.

The 2nd Test is started on 10 October at Pune and the SA needs to rectify their mistakes and prepare for it.

There is not much to rectify for South Africa with little time and the toss will be a major factor and the only way India can be defeated is if there is an incredible spell of bowling and the Indian batting collapses which is highly unlikely considering the depth of batsman in the Indian line up.

[worldssickestbets]

i put in my thread India first inngs lead @$1.50 looks enticing for me

also guys not too many runs are scored in pune, from what i remember there was a pune pitch curator that was caught trying to extend a match a couple of years back im expecting a really spin friendly pitch i think Ashwin Yadav and Jadeja will have a field day

[teosanru]

Once again what we want from them is consistency. More importantly on foreign pitches India wants a solid starting duo which slot is pretty empty too. So it's a long way before we declare both these players as permanent openers of this team.

If you look at the statistics in world cricket in Test matches, none of the team have a consistent openers for the past two years, not sure the reason why none of the team have consistent openers, the quality of players are not that great in the opening slot when you compare with the old generation of players. When i saw a good opening partnership with Rohit Sharma and Mayank Agarwal that almost broke many records you will understand that they could perform for a long time. Rohit has already proved his worth as an opener in the shorter format and he can translate that to Test level too.

I agree, things have changed a lot. I don't doubt on the capability of Rohit Sharma but all i am trying to say is that one match on the Home pitches with a good spinning track is not a good parameter to declare him as a good opener. The problem why he didn't used to open in Test was actually because he was bad at playing inswing which happens a lot with a new red ball. We hardly saw such a great swinging deliveries by South Africa, his real test for this slot would be somewhere in Australia or England. and yes no doubt that every team is really having a hard time finding consistent openers. I just rememerb Justin Langer and Mathew Hayden opening consistently for the Indian Team.

[ene1980]

This was what impressed me as well. The manner in which Shami bounced back in all formats of the game even with the current personal legal issues that he is dealing with is spectacular and he could replace Bhuvi if he continues bowling in this manner in the long term.

Mohammed Shami proved that he is a master of bowling with the old ball and he is performing really well even during the world cup even though he was the second choice replacement for the injured Bhuvneshwar Kumar. I was not aware of the legal issues he is going through and his wife filed a complaint against him . What ever be his personal issues he is performing well for the team which is important as these sort of controversies could end a career.

[erikalui]

It was a funny banter when one of our member said that South Africa will easily chase the score of 390 runs on the final day, no team will chase a score of 280 runs on the final day in India that easily let alone 390 runs and hence i said i will shave my head if they are able to defeat India . Surviving the final day to draw the match in India is a hard task let alone trying to chase the score.

I did not say easily win the match but rather there is a possibility they can win just like England won the test match with 9 wickets gone and SA already made 400+ runs in the first innings. It's not something impossible as I did not feel 400 runs would be enough but due to Jadeja and Shami, India managed to win by 203 runs. As you said in test matches it's tough to chase down so many runs on the last day, I now can believe that but I'm not still over WC's tragedy and Eng's last wicket win lol.

This is not the end so let's see what will happen in future matches

[Haunebu]

It was mainly possible because of one Indian bowler "Mohammed Shami" who took 5 wickets along with RA Jadeja taking 4 wickets to wrap up the SA 2nd second innings and the match.

Not just because of Shami. It was a team effort orchestrated primarily by Sharma and Agarwal(Batting) and Ashwin, Shami and Jadeja(Bowling). Kohli once again played his cards right and selected the correct bowlers for this match.

The only way South Africa could win the next match is if some other bowler supports Maharaj out in the middle by taking wickets regularly (Rabada etc).

[uray]

The only way South Africa could win the next match is if some other bowler supports Maharaj out in the middle by taking wickets regularly (Rabada etc).

I doubt whether India will prepare a wicket that will help the fast bowlers as South Africa have good fast bowlers including Rabada, unless they could find reverse swing it is difficult for them to stop the India players and South Africa does not have quality spinners that could trouble their batsman either, so it is a hopeless series for South Africa, ODI and T20 will be competitive but not test matches.

[Sithara007]

I doubt whether India will prepare a wicket that will help the fast bowlers as South Africa have good fast bowlers including Rabada, unless they could find reverse swing it is difficult for them to stop the India players and South Africa does not have quality spinners that could trouble their batsman either, so it is a hopeless series for South Africa, ODI and T20 will be competitive but not test matches.

I still remember one match against West Indies many years ago, when India made a track that favored the spinners. But it worked against them, as the West Indian bowlers got the Indian batsmen out cheaply and the Indian bowlers couldn't do the same against their batsmen. India ended up losing that match. I don't remember much details, as that match occurred many years ago.

Similarly, South Africa has some very talented spinners. Keshav Maharaj has made a huge impression in a relatively short timespan. And from what I have heard, Senuran Muthusamy had some good performances with the ball during the last domestic season. Also, some of their pace bowlers (especially Kagiso Rabada has the ability to perform in relatively flat surfaces).

[SaShiRaJaVu]

I did not say easily win the match but rather there is a possibility they can win just like England won the test match with 9 wickets gone and SA already made 400+ runs in the first innings.

Come on buddy, you are still rolling  , i have posted your exact response regarding the match below. I will never respond like i said if you never questioned the declaration and then claim that South Africa could easily chase the total on the final day. England was on a role that time as they have four players in their Test team who have a strike rate of above 100 in ODI, so they can make an attempt to chase the score and if Australia could pick wickets then they will never attempt to chase the score.

SA will easily win this match. Tomorrow's whole day of play and they have Knock and du Plessis who could easily get them the required runs. They should have atleast played till the end of the day and declare tomorrow. Why to declare before reaching 450?

This is not the end so let's see what will happen in future matches

I am not expecting any changes in the Test series as India will win the series without much sweat  .