1st Test: South Africa vs India

[NFC]

Really looking forward to this series, should be an absolute belter!

Hopefully both teams look to play attacking cricket so we can get results. This series could be a classic.

Starts tonight with coverage on Fox Sports.

[lion heart]

I think the Indians may struggle to adapt to the South African conditions. SA have shortened considerably to win the series in the last few days.

SA groundsman are masters @ doctoring up pitches to suit the team. Only problem is you always seem to lose quite a few hours play due to bad light / weather which can cost/save a match.

Looking forward to the series.

[NFC]

Looks like there will be no or little play on Day 1 due to rain. Just great.

[mal]

A : Lets hope we have a bowler friendly series
B : If we get bowling decks, lets see how the Indian flat track superstars cope
C : I hope SA win the series

[Jim05]

Come on the indians!
Dont want to see saffers win anything.

[NFC]

Sehwag gone for naught, caught by Amla at 3rd man off the bowling of Steyn. Good captaincy by Smith to have the catching 3rd man.

Steyn is an absolute gun, the guy is easily the most enjoyable bowling to watch in the world.

[NFC]

And Morkel has Ghambir out caught behind, off the glove from a steepler, and given not out by umpire Davis.

No referral system is a joke, as was that decision.

[jackpot jim]

reports were that there was 100 mm of rain (4 inches) overnight and morning. Sun shining now and 47 overs have been scheduled for day 1.

India 3/31 er 3/35

Tendulker 5* make that 9*
Laxman 0*

[CoverKing]

morkel with the wickets of gambhir and dravid

[NFC]

Steyn gets Laxman with an absolute belter, and Kallis dismisses Raina for 1.

India 5/67.

[Gozu]

Don't look too flash when they're not playing on their roads & padding their runs stats back in India.

[NFC]

Steyn in the midst of an unbelievable spell.

And yep, Indians not looking too flash without their roads.

[Rik E Boy]

And Morkel has Ghambir out caught behind, off the glove from a steepler, and given not out by umpire Davis.

No referral system is a joke, as was that decision.

Disagree. Tough decision for the ump and you can't blame him for not giving it out IMO. If there was a touch on the glove it wasn't all that obvious and with the extreme bounce of the delivery that makes it a very tough decision for mine.

As for no referral system I agree and guess whose idea it was not to use it? That's right the Indians.

regards,

REB

[locky801]

India 9/136

[mal]

A : Lets hope we have a bowler friendly series
B : If we get bowling decks, lets see how the Indian flat track superstars cope
C : I hope SA win the series

Heres my assement of the Indian top orders efforts

GIRLHIR 5 [43] had no idea on a bouncy deck, could have been out 10 times, was out once b4 officially out, weak effort
SHEWAG 0[3] caught at 3rd playing his usual shot wide off off stump, didnt last long enough to assess
DREARYVID 14[42] circumspect, played well, but LBW to a ball keepeing low, unlucky
TENDULKAR 36[34] Prob the best 36 he has ever made, class performer
LAXATIVEMAN 7[20] was hanging back on the back foot, LBW to a ball he played back to, and he played across the line, can get away with that in India, but not in this part of the world, a flop effort
RAINA 1 [3] he cant even play short pitched bowling in India, so no surprise to see this iffy batsman fail in SA

The disMissALs of Dravid and Laxman sums up what Ive always thought
Both LBW to rare full deliveries in this innings
Both appearingly hanging back on the back foot becoz of the bounce and both LBW to balls they would prob have been more forward to on thier own Indian decks

9/136
The Australian fast bowlers watching this would have been irked
Weve been trying to get these flat deck superstars on a bouncy pitch for years

Hopefully we get these decks for the rest of the series, and to see if the over inflated Indian batting averages drop

[mighty_tiger_79]

not a bad effort by Boucher to effect the run out

[NFC]

A : Lets hope we have a bowler friendly series
B : If we get bowling decks, lets see how the Indian flat track superstars cope
C : I hope SA win the series

Heres my assement of the Indian top orders efforts

GIRLHIR 5 [43] had no idea on a bouncy deck, could have been out 10 times, was out once b4 officially out, weak effort
SHEWAG 0[3] caught at 3rd playing his usual shot wide off off stump, didnt last long enough to assess
DREARYVID 14[42] circumspect, played well, but LBW to a ball keepeing low, unlucky
TENDULKAR 36[34] Prob the best 36 he has ever made, class performer
LAXATIVEMAN 7[20] was hanging back on the back foot, LBW to a ball he played back to, and he played across the line, can get away with that in India, but not in this part of the world, a flop effort
RAINA 1 [3] he cant even play short pitched bowling in India, so no surprise to see this iffy batsman fail in SA

The disMissALs of Dravid and Laxman sums up what Ive always thought
Both LBW to rare full deliveries in this innings
Both appearingly hanging back on the back foot becoz of the bounce and both LBW to balls they would prob have been more forward to on thier own Indian decks

9/136
The Australian fast bowlers watching this would have been irked
Weve been trying to get these flat deck superstars on a bouncy pitch for years

Hopefully we get these decks for the rest of the series, and to see if the over inflated Indian batting averages drop

Laxman got clean bowled by a beauty by Steyn.

[spell_check]

Not much of a surprise - India struggling in South Africa.

South Africa 1/111 with Smith just gone for 62. Only trail by 25.

[brod]

South Africa 1/151 (lead of 15)
Petersen 66
Amla 19
Harbhajan 1/51 in his last six overs

[spell_check]

I think Unadkat is the first teammate of Tendulkars' to be younger than the Little Masters Test career.

Unadkat is two years younger than his career, in fact.