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

will be a lot of pace and bounce though...won't get any easier for the Indian batsmen...

Kohli must be up there as one of the worst captain ever.
I am absolutely livid that Parthiv will open.
It seems it was all talk from Kohli about the overseas leg.

The tour is becoming a shambles so far from India, it is pretty much matching the England 2013/14 ashes shambles.

Big toss for sa to win as well considering the wicket will probably get cracked up on day 5

Selection of the team is actually better than expected actually like all the changes even bhuvi getting replaced makes sense.
Saha apprently got an injury.

Saffers opt to bat first.

India (Playing XI): Murali Vijay, Lokesh Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli(c), Rohit Sharma, Parthiv Patel(w), Hardik Pandya, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma

South Africa (Playing XI): Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram, Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, Faf du Plessis(c), Quinton de Kock(w), Vernon Philander, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungisani Ngidi, Morne Morkel

Bad selections by Indian think tank.

Still no rahane though.

Ishant isnt actually a bad selection although he should have replaced shami although they probably went with bhuvi out because rightly or wrongly Kohli sees bhuvi as a green ball bowler and not someone that can bowl on flatter decks.

Shami needs to bowl well here, needs to justify his inclusion ahead of bhuvi here.
Personally would have replace ishant with shami.
Ishant should be a shoe in these two test, considering he been in good form recently, very good wrist position lately and is a tall bowler likely to make the best use of the cracks on the decks.
Also likely to get more bounce.

Virat has become a laughing stock really. everyone is making fun of his captaincy even on TV shows as well as Indian fans in media.

Adi wrote:Bad selections by Indian think tank.

Yrs, shocking really. SA commentators stunned and can't understand Bhuvi being dropped. Bhuvi offers batting depth as well as being our bedt seamer.

Rohit is a nonsense selection as well. Really need Rahane.

Parthiv is enforced but might be quite good for the batting

Usually good policy to pick your better bowler.

Bhuvi was India's leading wicket taker in the last game. Maybe someone got a bit fancy with that decision. Unless he's not fit.

SA didn't drop Phillander because it is going to bounce more. Saffers do not have a clue about home wickets.

Bhuvi batting alone should have seen him play and not been dropped because of the conditions .
In a 4 man pace attack you can afford bhuvi even if you think he can’t bowl in flatter decks, it allowed you the leeway to just bowl him with the new balls.
And now shami Bowls crap.

In a 50-50 call between shami and bhuvi would have gone with the batting bhuvi brings.