Cricket-Match-Special ... A forum for discussion

Seeing how our batters continue to flop in slightly bowling friendly conditions, even facing the 120 - 140 kph bowlers, there is no hope of a series win on this tour as well. No chance.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/21737286/india-opt-warm-game-ahead-sa-tests

India have opted for training sessions instead of a warm-up fixture in South Africa, in the lead-up to the first Test between the two teams from January 5 in Cape Town. A press release from Cricket South Africa on Monday announced India's decision.

India have only lost one Test since August 2015, against Australia. Though the only matches they've played outside Asia have been in the West Indies. Still, a tremendous record.

Which makes this series feel significant.

Arthur it is probably the series that everyone is really waiting for.
Nasser, Bob Willis, Jonathan Trott, Matthew Hayden, Simon doull have all mentioned the series in recent times and have look forward to it too see if india can do well overseas.
in paper look a cracking series.

Arthur Crabtree wrote:India have only lost one Test since August 2015, against Australia. Though the only matches they've played outside Asia have been in the West Indies. Still, a tremendous record.

Which makes this series feel significant.

Barring the 2017 Sri lankan series, the other series in Sri lanka shouldn't really be downplayed either had Sanga and a decent sri lanka team with Herath winning a test in Galle and it wasn't like the condition were similar to india with the green tops.
the 2015 Sri lanka series wasn't really that easy to win especially after a shock comeback win from Sri lanka in Galle where india failed to chase 150 odd in the last innings after Chandimal somehow scored a brilliant match winning 150.
to come back and win that series 2-1 was a good series performace.
the good news is that from 2020 onwards india won't be having a super long Away season and a Super long home season will be more balanced going forward.

Here Greame Smith Views on the series.
Doesn't say which side will win or the scoreline but does say it should be a cracker of a series.
World number 1 and 2 as well.
https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/india-v ... re-1790555

SA's win in Australia last year is looking even more impressive now.

There are concerns over the fitness of the following players. ...

Quinton de Kock
Dale Steyn
Faf du Plessis

Would have thought that Klassen would come in for Du Kock.... Faf injured means AB stays in which means Bavuma stays in, which means quota stays filled....and Steyn hasnt played for ages anyway...not too bad problems to be honest..

I don't think the so called quota system is an issue in the test team today. Everyone was there on merit against Zimbabwe. There were five white players two Asian players three black players and one mixed race player.

The only question is whether it's four bowlers or five.

For a team going through transformation to be ranked second in the test rankings ahead of both Ashes teams tells me that their selection procedures are still producing results.

Rudy Second is batting well in the domestic leagues and could be called in as cover. But is his glove work up to scratch?

So buzzing for this series.
gonna be such a huge massive year for india, best of luck to them.

South Africa squad for Cape Town Test
Faf du Plessis (capt), Hashim Amla, Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock (wk), Theunis de Bruyn, AB de Villiers, Dean Elgar, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Morne Morkel, Chris Morris, Andile Phehlukwayo, Vernon Philander, Kagiso Rabada, Dale Steyn

In: Chris Morris

Out: Duanne Olivier

http://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/ ... test-squad

A 15-man squad for the first Test? That tells me that the selectors are still concerned over the fitness of Steyn and du Plessis....

I was surprised that India decided to forgo a warm up match before the first Test.

Kohli declined the warm up games because he wanted full control of the pitches so they instead decided to have squad matches/ training sessions instead.
http://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/ ... irat-kohli

suspect this might be the new way team prepare for tours now.

"The search for high-quality practice time in order to acclimatise to South African conditions was behind India's decision to cancel their warm-up match ahead of the three-Test series. Instead of facing a South African Invitation side, which may have comprised players with scant franchise experience, as was the case against Zimbabwe 10 ten days ago on a flat, slow deck in Paarl, India have opted for two high-intensity training sessions at the Western Province Cricket Club, where they will try to replicate Test-match conditions."
""If you look at the wicket that we are playing on right now, it's not even 15% of what we are going to get in the game," Virat Kohli said, at the team's first media engagement since arriving in the country two days ago. "We understand that. There's no point wasting two days, guys going in, scoring quick fifties and coming out. We'd rather have them do two sessions like today, get into Test match zone, test ourselves, try and prepare the wickets the way we want to.

"If you're playing a two-day game, there's no room to change the wicket at different times of the day. Here we have the freedom to put more water on the wicket, roll it, make it harder, come tomorrow's practice session and then we have conditions that we want. You are never sure of whether you are going to get quality practice games or not. We would rather have practice sessions that are in our control, done the way we want to run them.""

Could be the blue print for other touring teams if it works.