India in South Africa 2013

First topic message reminder :

The BCCI have picked the test squad for South Africa well in advance, so the debates can also start well in time.

Pity South Africa aren't playing a forward-thinking Test nation, rather they're playing one stuck in the 20th century.

Come on you Saffers! Only 221 runs to go...

KP_fan wrote:

kingraf wrote:If there was DRS Kallis could have reviewed, and no, the fact that it's an on-field umpire who made this mistake and not a TV umpire does NOT make the fact that we are now staring down the barrel anymore acceptable.

and it evens out in the plumb backfoot lbw of ABDV denied off samy last over.

without DRS if the umpires are competent...the decisions even out

Plumb?

It was marginally clipping off stump.

Kallis was of course unlucky.

However I have to admit that despite the odd umpiring error , I actually prefer watching cricket without drs.

When the finger goes up , you know that is it. Don't have to wait in suspense while the batsmen confer , no balls are checked , and endless replays are examined...

Not perfect , perhaps ...but more to my taste as a watcher. I might not be so happy as the aggrieved batsman who has copped a howler , of course   

Getting interesting ...only 195 to go , six wickets and lots of overs left...

Against that , a few balls have really leapt lately : I suspect one wicket might bring two or three quickly.

Good match , this.

AB and Faf are taking this away from India at the moment. South Africa 280-4. Need another 178 runs in about 47 overs. at around 3.75. With AB in there, the RR shouldn't be a massive problem.
Will all the hardwork of 4 days come to nothing for India?
45 % India win, 40 % SA win, 15 % draw.

India must bowl negative now to slow the scoring rate. Remember, it's a test, and India are perfectly within their rights to sling it down the leg side or well outside off.

I am starting to think this may be drawn after all.

No new ball breakthrough for India : but on the other hand the required run rate has slipped out beyond four...which is still gettable ; but how much risk will SA be prepared to take in pursuit of a win ? They may be happy to make their escape...

Couple of quick wickets could still change things anyway.

300 up ...but that was a brute of a ball - could have flown anywhere .

Surely one of these will go to hand eventually ? Which is when it might get tricky for the new batsman...

At the moment though these two are in command. Ashwin looking steady rather than dangerous.

This has been a fantastic session for SA.

The win is within reach now. If de Villiers stays in they might yet make it ...I still have the feeling a wicket will fall at some point and they will end up backing off , but India have some thinking to do over the tea interval.

One more over to tea...

My gut feeling is draw this out to tea - have an honest discussion about what we want. We are the #1 team in the world, if we are serious about all this legacy nonsense they keep spewing when they release a new book, or DVD, then we absolutely have to give this a go. Every great team needs a crowning moment, and chasing down a world record total, against the #2 team in the world, in our mecca of cricket (on a day it's sorta well attended) - the stage is set!

After 14 sessions of cricket, it comes down to the final session of the Test:

30 Overs left
127 Runs required for a South African victory (and a world record)
6 wickets required for an Indian victory

All four results still possible.

That's why Test Cricket is, and always will be, the best form of cricket.

What a reply from the No.1 Team ..they have made victory look like an even option for them   

127 runs in about 30 overs.....test match overs.....all 4 options possible now....including a tie.

I do acknowldge Shanky's comment now on Ashwin.....he has disappointed....on D5 deteriorated pitch so far...unless he picks 3 wickets in last session

wow... an amazing session from SA. 127 runs needed with 30 overs remaining.
India need 6 wickets.

India desperate to remove one of these two, then another... and then the whole complexion of the match would change.

It's been a long day, alfie. NZ winning their series v the West Indies in the morning, Swanny retiring. I'm feeling a little jaded too! It's so hard being a neutral.

Wishing both teams fans all the best!
(think I need to recalculate my offering above - seems it's way off the mark!)

127 runs needed Pommie... not 122.    Even he's getting ahead of himself now.

congratulations to MSD for not declaring earlier when it seemed time was the only issue... Must have been a contested decision, what with the cracks on the pitch, and the fact that I'm sure many were getting carried away by the prospect of beating S.A. in S.A..

Are you out there today, raf? Or in your city pad?
Would be great to witness this last session. Entry must be free now?

I got home about five minutes before my , 3:08 post, LB - I took my sister's to the mall for some go-karting and putt putt today. Tickets were 30% off for today - and they get slashed by 30% per session, so I'd think it's free, or the cheapest ticket costs about three Rand, or 17 pennies. Im simply too knackered to go there today...

I know the feeling. So darn hot here today. Still about 31.5 deg C after midnight and the change is meant to arrive tomorrow (later today) afternoon.

SA just need to chip away at around 3-4 runs/over if possible. If AB and Faf are still there after 15-20 overs or so... then they can just keep going at the same rate... or maybe launch into it once they are within sight... at around 40-50 runs to go.

114 of 26 overs with 6 wickets remaining. Looking like South Africa's game at the moment.

Dhoni's put fielders on the boundary - I think he's conceded (for the time being in any case) that victory might not be in the stars.

How is the weather there? Any chance it'd like to have a say in thins?
The 350 up for South Africa. Faf and AB looking immovable and they are taking this away from India.
This will be a fabulous achievement even for the number 1 side in the world. The first 2 days were even, the 3rd day belonged to India, the 4th day was even, and the 5th day completely belonged to South Africa.
Singles are coming all too easy for South Africa, and India seem to have given up.

100 for Faf.  
99 runs needed.

Fantastic from Faf - Cometh the hour and all that.

the worrying thing for India is that we are scoring at 3.8 an over, and we aren't even pushing the agenda. I don't think India can win from here. Once AB gets to his ton - I think the pyrotechnics come on

the crowd at the member's end (to the grass embankment) may all be in need of a detox system the likes of which has never ever been seen before, they've all been drunk since the second session... of day one!!

Magnificent effort by SA.

wicket for India - but five wickets in twelve overs is a touch beyond them I think.

402-4.... only 57 runs needed to win.

Very similar score to the famous 404-3 in 1948 at Headingley.... but that was done in a day.

AB chops it on. 5 down now. JP comes to the crease.

South Africa need 50 runs in 11 overs. What a test match.
Philander cuts that down by 2. 48 of 65.

Faf du Plessis left one from Ishant and defended the next. And another leave from him. What is his game plan? Perhaps he's planning to let Philander attack and himself play the insurance role?

There's that magic "47" again....

Perhaps South Africa will attack in the last 5 overs.

Its that man Philander again, a valuable boundary from Vernon, SA need 41 of 54. He's looking so comfortable.

47 off 60 - four wickets in hand. I think it's 40/40 with 20% chance of a draw. This is going down as one of the greatest Tests I've ever watched regardless, the Kings vs the pretenders to the throne.

A quick fire 20 from Vernon would be like goldust, Faf is doing the right thing, it isn't time to chase the wide ones yet. If we need less than 30 with five overs to go, he *might* launch, no need right now.

SA need 40 of 8 overs. du Plessis is holding off for now.

418...

38 of 42. The South Africans are dealing it in a pretty cool way.

Boundary from Philander, South Africa still in control. What a performance from Philander!.

SA need 31 of 36 as 7 came of that Ishant Sharma over.

Zaheer on now.

Just 30 more runs...

Can't see India stopping them now. Records were made to be broken , I guess ; but this has been an amazing performance from SA.

Du Plessis is quite the last day champion , eh ?

28 from five...

28 of 30. South Africa still in control. Unless there is a wicket in the next over or so, think India won't save this one.

A couple and a boundary from Philander, think that's it for India.

Don't lose your head Vern!

This is nice, I might just see history being made here.

that's a choke from Faf!

What a time for a run-out!

Heroic effort by Du Plessis.

Fantastic fielding.

Run out with a direct hit ! Now where have we seen that before ?

Too late for India , surely ?

16 from three...

fair enough from Steyn, he isn't a great bat, rather don't get out

Morkel padded up I see ...all the ingredients for the Perfect Finish ...

. . . . .


Getting very tight