Whenever India plays cricket and there is no TV coverage, I feel disappointed on having missed out. After India’s capitulation under one session yesterday and the beating they have taken on the field since, I am actually a bit glad for once that I am not watching the game.
It is highly unlikely that after conceding 418 runs lead (and counting) that India can save this match. I am sure a lot of Indians are praying for some kind of miracle. Well, we definitely need some divine intervention to save India from an innings defeat. There are still 3 full days left in the match and I can’t see India playing out a draw.
Watching the South African score, it is pretty clear that there were no demons on the pitch. If there were any demons, it must have been on the minds of the Indian players – how else can you explain losing all your wickets in under 20 overs in a test match?
South Africa are sitting pretty at the moment. Their top order has had plenty of batting practice and have scored runs by the truck loads. In their 3 innings so far they have aggregated close to 1300 runs – and we haven’t been able to take 30 wickets in 3 innings so far. Except for Prince, every batsmen in their team has scored runs. Of their bowlers, Dale Steyn has been outstanding taking 9 wickets in the two innings he has bowled.
India on the other hand are a far cry from the team that beat Australia in Perth. The bowling has looked ordinary and the fielding – well, the less said the better. But the most worrying thing is the batting, which is supposed to be its strength. Agreed India scored over 600 runs in the 1st test – but more than half of that came from the bat of Sehwag. You take his score out, and India would have been in big trouble in Chennai too.
There have been some notable failures and we can’t afford any of them in the second innings. Ganguly has to lift his game. He hasn’t scored too many runs since the Sydney test. Dhoni has done well in the shorter form of the game, but is averaging just 17 runs in his last 10 Test innings. He has to lift his game too.
Laxman has been amongst the runs, but he needs to learn how to control the strike when playing with the tail. Sadly, It is probably too late in his career to learn to do that. In Tendulkar’s absence, he was rightfully moved to No.4, but lasted just 7 balls. Hopefully, he can do a lot better in the second innings.
We need Sehwag and Jaffer to get a good opening partnership and Dravid to hold the middle order together. I am not under any false pretence that India will save this game – all I want them to do is to put up a good fight and play for some pride.
-Mahesh-
i3j3Cricket :: A blog for fans of Indian cricket... 
Is there a remote possibility of rain saving this match for India or local shiv senaites damaging the pitch?
Where this game is headed is fairly obvious, all I’d like to see is some positive cricket from indian batsmen in the 2nd innings. I can almost see Dravid walking in with that look of permenant constipation and bat as if hand grenades are being bowled at him. This was a golden opportunity for SRT to show his class or inside edge in single digits as usual and maintain his 4th innings record 😉
Why not promote Mr Extras–he was the second top scorer in the first innings! Promoting VVS didn’t help–Why VVS and Dada invest in bats costing thousands of rupees and not use the bat to meet the ball–let alone hit it?
If Team India fails in this test and the next one, the best thing that should happen is retirement of Kumble, Dravid, VVS and Ganguly–they have the retirement fund guaranteed by IPL for the next 3 years–more than they will receive playing full time cricket. SRT could be accomodated for one more series-as he still looks committed.
As for Dhoni, his luck is running out in the test arena. D Karthik has better technical credentials and should be tried. Or even Parvathi Patel should be older and maturer by now.
@exSport – SRT isn’t playing this game 🙂
@blogesh – of course, I thought this “was” an opportunity for SRT, but too bad me had to miss 🙂
It is a bad loss – that too innings defeat at home. Not good at all.
Ganguly scored again, so he will continue for some more days now. And So did Dhoni.
With his technique, he is not made for test cricket.
@exSport – my bad 🙂