Rest of the World

[alfie]

Blimey...just flicked back to see Australia making a meal of chasing 34 to win. Warner another fail (is that a strong hint that his time is all but done ?)

But also Smith Khawaja and Head gone...29/4 and extras has made 14 of them !

Only need five more so no problem...but SA might wonder what might have been if they'd been able to produce a bit more resistance in that awful second innings.

Supports kingraf's pitch assessment , I guess

[Pal Joey]

Glad that's over.  

Those 19 extras sure helped!

[alfie]

Glad that's over.  

Those 19 extras sure helped!

Without the extras , it was looking all a bit "Sydney Thunder "

I wonder if the pitch will draw a negative mark ?

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Pitch inspector needed at The Gabba

[kingraf]

Another 50 runs and we'd have really fancied ourselves. Congrats PJ, onto Melbourne, where I suspect on a truer pitch we'll lose by an innings and 200 runs.

But I must confess that I'm both embarrassed as a South African fan of the team, and as a Queenslander of the pitch.

[Pal Joey]

Another 50 runs and we'd have really fancied ourselves. Congrats PJ, onto Melbourne, where I suspect on a truer pitch we'll lose by an innings and 200 runs.

But I must confess that I'm both embarrassed as a South African fan of the team, and as a Queenslander of the pitch.

Thanks Raf.

Yes, I hope Melbourne is a touch better. Heard it mentioned that 30 wickets were lost for 525 runs last year. We don't really want a repeat of that again even though it was England on the receiving end of most of it.

[KP_fan]

Too much cricket and a lot of footbal going on...so hard to watch everything .
Home team  cricket and highest quality football take priority watching time.
In short 2 day finish not good for cricket
Indian team had a clinical win....BD underwhelming.
Although this is not the thread but Eng will win...will chase down....whatever they get
Mentally and tactically a far Superior team

[guildfordbat]

Beautiful delivery to get Starc his 300th

vd Dussen totally undone...can't play that !

Disastrous mini session for SA ... For Australia , has them well on the way to victory in this game.  Some excellent bowling from the Aussie pair

Late to this party but still many congratulations to Starc. He may sometimes go for a few but he often gets a few and that's served Australia and me well. 

[Duty281]

A two-day test is terrible for cricket, particularly when it's supposed to be a heavyweight match-up. South African cricket is in a troublesome state.

It seems pointless to fight the tide. T20 is the future. There is no place for first-class cricket in this modern world.

[sirfredperry]

Another lowish score today for Kohli who has just six 50s and no hundreds in his last 35 Test innings.

Most players would have been dropped by now. Rahane and Pujara were both excluded after poor runs although Pujara is now back.

If this poor Kohli run goes on much longer will the axe fall?

[KP_fan]

4th inning and BD is in the game
Pitch is spinning a bit but uneven in bounce

Dravid from the CHOKING era has asked his team to block, block, see off and then comes a ball that skids low or jumps a bit and the paralyzed batsman is gone.
Regressed to 1990s mindset within a matter of 12 months

a sure sign of choking & lack pf confidence is when instead of asking your batsmen to play strokes...you send a Lower order Axar to do the hitting.

Hit over the top, sweep, reverse sweep...is the requirement of the moment.
Bowler cannot be allowed to settle in with no fear of consequence

Defeat is a 50% scenario for Ind at this moment

[sirfredperry]

Yet another failure for Kohli and a distinct chance that B could actually pull this off.

Probably, though, Pant will come in a whack off the runs with no trouble at all.

England, you feel, would have tried to win tonight and would probably have ended up around 100-2 instead of India's 45-4.

I repeat my earlier remarks about Kohli. Is he really worth his place at the moment?

[VTR]

They'll be too scared to chop Kohli out, like they were with Tendulkar. He's probably got another 5 years in the Test team if he doesn't make the decision himself

[KP_fan]

In IPL Curran becomes the most expensive player bought ever at $2M +
Green and Stokes also command 2M+....and Brooks goes for 800K

Recognition of value of seam bowling all rounders and also of Eng's superiority in T20 format.

On Kohli....there are reports he wears lenses now and has lost his eye....a shadow of his prime....is dragging himself
Rohit has fitness issue and plays on his super star value without passing the YoYo fitness test applied to others

BCCI is run by a half retarded son of the boss  political ruling party and he now runs it like a family asset...no firm voice in BCCI anymore and no selection committee.
Selections and dumping of players reeks of randomness at best and highhandedness at worst
India cricket is headed into more darkness and doom......and a total wreck is not bad...because that will force a full correction....because cricket cuts across ideologies and political affiliations still in India and remains a national passion.
Patched up wins here and there will drag this status quo of mediocrity for long

[alfie]

Interesting finish coming up , eh ?  Lot of work left for India to get the remaining runs...

Waiting for guildford to come on to address the outrageous tactic of employing two night watchmen ! No good should come of this

[guildfordbat]

Interesting finish coming up , eh ?  Lot of work left for India to get the remaining runs...

Waiting for guildford to come on to address the outrageous tactic of employing two night watchmen ! No good should come of this

Flipping heck! So checking on the apparently ludicrous goings on in that match and commenting on them is something else I have to do between now and Christmas Day!   

[guildfordbat]

PS Hopefully KP_f will make a case that neither is a night watchman and save me a job! 

[VTR]

Might well be 2 x nighthawks!

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

It is ridiculous they haven't sent Pant in yet - as KP_F says, with these small targets, even a quick 30/40 breaks the back of the chase...to not have him in 4 down is nonsense. I suspect India still win, but that was a bit of a shambles tonight

[guildfordbat]

It is ridiculous they haven't sent Pant in yet - as KP_F says, with these small targets, even a quick 30/40 breaks the back of the chase...to not have him in 4 down is nonsense. I suspect India still win, but that was a bit of a shambles tonight

Thanks, Olly. Yep, with you there.

Merry Christmas to all.

[alfie]

Found a working stream - though the commentary is not in English
Rather a lot of ads , too.

No matter.

Nightwatchman didn't stay long. But NightHawk Axar motoring on and Pant is feeling his way into this... 70/5

No ! 71/6... Pant plumb lbw and Bangladesh will feel one more and it's theirs...

[alfie]

And one brings two...Axar gone also to Mehidy , bowled off his pad !

Five now for Mehidy. Iyer and Ashwin have it all to do at 74/7. Another seventy runs looks like a Very Big Mountain now...

[alfie]

Spirited fightback from these two...up to 94/7 now...

Runs not coming easy , ball certainly turning. But the partnership is putting a bit of pressure back onto the bowlers. Real test of nerve as it gets closer.

Merry Christmas from Australia anyway...

[alfie]

Some brilliant attacking cricket from Shreyas Iyer has turned this right around...

Up to 119 /7 as Ashwin is missed at slip and another boundary runs away !

India favourites now as Bangladesh are starting to show signs of desperation in place of the energy and excitement of an hour ago.

Wicket could still change things , of course. But they are running out of road ...

[alfie]

All but done now thanks to this wonderful partnership

137/7... And bang , bang...that's all over !

Well done India

[alfie]

Ashwin took over at the end...finished 42no ., Iyer 29.

Maybe have to say "this time" the nightwatchman (and nighthawk !) plan worked

[KP_fan]

When No. 9 does 42* chasing 145 and half of that chase is by the 8th wicket, you know it was a very close shave .
India Huffed & Puffed and crawled past the winning line.

Dead weight seniors, Gelly like weak coach and a maliciously autocratic board are the banes inspite of which we won is the glass half full view.

I wish a Merry Christmas to all here.

[Duty281]

Bangladesh started the year with a superb test win, they nearly ended it with an even greater one, although this would have been down to Indian ineptitude rather than Bangladeshi brilliance. India still looking the most likely to join Australia in the WTC final, though if they lose to Australia at home in the four-test series that is just around the corner, the unlikely figure of South Africa, or the even more unlikely Sri Lanka, may actually sneak into the final.

Seems an interesting time for the Indian test team in transition, but they're barely playing any tests in 2023. Just two v the West Indies and two v South Africa is all they're down for, and potentially the WTC final.

Got two tests for Boxing Day. Australia presumably are going to give South Africa a smashing.

And a two-test series between Pakistan and NZ, in Pakistan, starts. Both teams on a downward spiral. NZ of course toppled Pakistan in the UAE a few years back, but they're considerably weaker now and they're missing Boult for the series. They haven't actually played a test since losing to England in the summer. Mind you, Pakistan have only won one of their last eight tests, and you need to reach back nearly two years to find a time when they last won a test at home, so they're not exactly on form either. And the England defeats mean Pakistan are falling apart off the field, with Shahid Afridi being named as chief selector (!).

[sirfredperry]

It was always going to be a tall order for B to bowl India out while defending such a low 4th innings target. They did well to get so close.

I mentioned Kohli's form but what about Warner? I wonder if he's close to the chop as he ain't made many of late.

Always nice to wake up on Boxing Day to check the Test scores. Particularly relaxing if England are not playing, although given their recent form their festive performance this year might well have been a real Christmas cracker.

[Duty281]

Warner's averaging 20 for the year. It could be a case of 100 tests and out.

[alfie]

Warner's averaging 20 for the year. It could be a case of 100 tests and out.

Won't be finding out much for a while - Cummins won the toss and sent SA in.

First half hour Elgar and Erwee have survived OK - just one c&b chance Cummins couldn't hold on to.

21/0 after seven. Haven't seen Boland and his magic yet though

[alfie]

Just the one change for SA - de Bruyn in for vd Dussen. So still that awfully long tail. Not sure who will get the serious runs they need to make a contest of this ; though if they could get a decent score , they may well have the bowlers to defend it.

Aha - here is Local Hero Boland to massive applause...

[alfie]

Didn't take Boland long to make an impact... Erwee edges to 3rd slip , Khawaja does the rest

Had done a lot of the hard work ; but gone for just 18 and we take drinks a fraction early with SA 29/1.

[alfie]

Quiet period after drinks with just 12 runs in half an hour , as Cummins juggles his bowlers. But Green's arrival produces some action: (tough) dropped chance first ball - ball didn't really deserve it anyway , just a wide one hit in the air ; then a couple of boundaries.

50 up from 18. De Bruyn has looked quite good so far. Elgar a bit streaky but battling away.
Half an hour left of the session.

[alfie]

So of course , I executed the Perfect Jinx on de Bruyn ...

Tries to pull a ball from Green that was nowhere near the right length ...high in the air and down comfortably for Carey

Really daft throw away of a wicket. Christmas for Australia , that one.

[Duty281]

Complete stupidity from South Africa. 56/1 to 58/4, including a run-out and stupid shots. Daft cricket.

[alfie]

SA their own worst enemies this morning...

Ten minutes to lunch ; Elgar had survived some really testing stuff from Cummins and Starc : and what does he do ?

Takes a single that was just not there and run out by an excellent direct hit from Marnus !

And followed by Bavuma falling to Starc (this
one was just good bowling ) caught behind...

From a decent 56/1 they've lost three wickets for two - and two of those gifts ...

[alfie]

Only twenty minutes after lunch and already hopes of a good contest are rather fading...

More great fielding from Marnus ; but Zondo getting out there has left the tourists in a very grim situation at 70/5. Good bowling from the Aussies - but the bats continue to contribute to their woes with poorly judged shots.

I'll be astonished if they get 150 from here.

[alfie]

Verreynne and Jansen battling to survive , scoreboard going nowhere. 75/5 from 32.

Bit surprising that Cummins has nothing in the wickets column : he has been relentless. But I guess he's made the situation for bowlers at the other end to get the scalps... 0/19 from eleven overs.

[alfie]

93/5 at mid session drinks. Bit of overtime going to be needed tonight I'd imagine : just 37 overs bowled at the half-way mark of the day. Lyon only had three overs ; but it is still very slow.

Verreynne and Jansen battling hard. Not a lot of batting to follow.

[alfie]

Fifty stand up

Didn't SA need that ! These two have played very sensibly - unlike some of their top order mates. Obviously the softer , older ball has helped , but still it has been good cricket.

Lyon has been on for a few overs now : nearly had one at short leg then though those are only caught by fluke. Couple of good boundaries follow from Jansen...they have upped the scoring lately too ; pleasingly positive. Both men in the thirties now.

Might have to revise my scepticism re 150 . But they really need to keep this partnership going...

129/5 . 47 overs gone. Fifteen minutes to tea.

[alfie]

Cummins really peppering Jansen , who will have a bruise or two from this. But he's stood up to it - and been ready to try and pull when he can ; not really successfully but intent is there. Oh ! Two balls before tea ... Tries the pull again - and dropped by Khawaja !

So tea it is , 144/5 from 51. Reckon that may have been a Big Moment. Very well played these two bats

[alfie]

Fifty for Jansen

Secured with a strong lofted on drive from Lyon - though perilously close to a catch to the diving Starc. Starc may have injured himself there too as he's gone straight off the field.

Hundred stand up now with another boundary . 167/5. Great fightback by SA

[alfie]

Verreynne joins his partner with a well deserved fifty

He's been the more sound of the two - and actually scored at a faster rate ; though Jansen has rather hogged the strike. But it has been a very good combination and they are bringing SA into the contest . Really appreciate the way they've refused to let Lyon just tie down one end - he's gone for 49 from 13 and the seamers are having to put in a shift here .

Starc may have a problem as it appears he has damaged fingers on his bowling hand attempting that catch.

Australia turn to Golden Arm Green as they sort of "need a wicket" . 175/5 and still 19 overs to the second new ball...

[alfie]

And Golden Arm does the trick !

Draws the edge , Smith pouches it safely at first ...and SA are 179/6. Green a very useful 2/20 now from nine overs.

Verreynne gone for a fine 52 and Australia will fancy going through the rest now...

[alfie]

And again !

Jansen caught behind for 59. Two in three balls for Green and SA are rocking at 182/7...

Wonder what the bowlers can conjure from here ? Can they make 200 for the first time in four Tests ?

Edit : Probably not . Rabada lasted just five balls. One edged boundary and played on to give Green his fourth.

186/8. Drinks.

[alfie]

Total fold up by SA . Maharaj hits Lyon to mid off ...186/9.

This is disappointing after that fine sixth wicket stand. Pitch is no 200 par strip...expect Aussies to bat themselves into a strong position tomorrow . SA have some fine bowlers so maybe they could do some damage tonight (they will need to !) ...but the batting really is pathetic.

[alfie]

...and all done at 189.

Five for Cam Green (who did bowl well ) ; but that is still a pretty poor effort from the tourists , either side of one fine partnership.

So we will see Warner bat today

[alfie]

So 4/11 around lunch . And 5/10 there at the end. Talk about a lopsided scorecard.

Reckon SA need to take at least three tonight or they'll get hammered tomorrow .

[alfie]

SA would want to put pressure on Warner. But that was a dreadful first over from Rabada ! All six balls outside leg stump ... Absolutely nothing to give Warner any problem - just sighters.

He was poor early in Brisbane too. Not sure what is wrong with him but he seems to only turn it on intermittently. SA really need more from him - especially in these key periods.

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