Being an Indian cricket fan sure has its pitfalls. Far too often has the fan started believing in the team only to be let down soon after. The current tour of South Africa has been a little different but seems like it would end like any other overseas tour for the Indian fan.

After the humiliation of the ODI series, India were not even outside contenders for the Test series. (Almost) Every fan expected them to turn up, make the numbers, roll over and play dead. Unfortunately for South Africa, that is happening only in the last Test!

For reasons that can only be explained by saying “because it’s the Indian team”, they have decided they do not want to win this one. Believe me, the way they were playing until late in the second Test, they ought to have wrapped up the series right there in Durban. But the last . . . → Read More: The fan continues to believe…

It’s indeed very rare that India goes into the final Test of an away series with a chance of winning the series. They do have the chance this time around and would be foolish not to have a go.

But they are also in a peculiar situation because a draw would allow them to come back home without losing the series and that doesn’t happen too often when India travels! But the first thoughts must be to try and win and if not, then draw. Well, d-uh!

But for India to win, there are some things that need to happen:

Sehwag must not play: Apart from a couple of good catches, he has contributed nothing to the team so far. Sure he picked up Morne Morkel’s wicket in the SA 2nd Innings at Durban, but that cannot be why he is in the team. He is an opening batsman and scores of 4, 33, . . . → Read More: Can India win it?

India v South Africa (2nd Test, Durban): Scorecard

Far too much frustration has come around. India has suffered at the hands of tailenders on many occasions. But this particular effort by SA may just hurt badly.

The 10th wicket partnership between debutante Morne Morkel and Makhaya Ntini was worth 32 runs. Prince and Morkel put together 39 for the 9th wicket. So the last two wickets cost India all of 71 runs. When the opposition top 8 have fallen for 257, you expect to wrap up the innings for approx 275. Tsk!

Australia would have!

UPDATE: India has been bundled out for 240. Conceding a lead of 88 runs. As predicted above, the last two partnerships that yielded 71 for SA have proved costly for India. Else the lead would not have been more than say 30 or 40. How costly? Two and a half days to go to find that out!

Technorati tags: india, . . . → Read More: Finally! 328 all out

So what exactly is he trying to say here?

A bit more clarity would be better, eh?

 

Technorati tags: sourav ganguly, india, cricket, chucking, cricinfo

 

. . . → Read More: Ganguly throws?

Just had to post this one. Sure it’s available all over, but this shows my support of his actions! So, enjoy the Sreesanth Tango!

. . . → Read More: Sreesanth’s Tango

The first Test between India and South Africa had its share of controversy even before the first ball was bowled. There was Graeme Smith (and coach Mickey Arthur) doing the mandatory lip service about how India would face the pace music and how he had plans for India’s batting with his pacers. Well, they worked to some extent. Then there was the delay on day 1 because of too much sweating due to an over-enthusiastic groundsman getting the pitch wetter than necessary. But then, the games began. And SA seemed to be on top!

Until the SA bowling ran into a man making a comeback with much to prove. Sourav Ganguly was the only man to cross 50 in both first innings and remained unbeaten on 51 when the last Indian wicket fell for 249. Not the best score when you have won the toss and elected to bat, but given . . . → Read More: Pitch doctor works for India?

Do you know a right-arm fast bowler by the name Morne Morkel? I did not. But now you will. For he has crushed the Indian top order in their tour game. As India tottered at 69/5 (Lunch, Day 1), Morkel was responsible for 4 of those wickets including those of Sehwag (0), Laxman (23), Tendulkar (10) and Dhoni (6). Was he bowling hand grenades?

And these are the Big Guns of the Indian batting. God save India in the Tests! Incidentally, Ganguly (who has just flown in and has not had a chance to acclimatise, etc., etc.) was on 20* at last check. That’s twice as many as Tendulkar and well, more than 20 times as Sehwag! Go figure!

Live Scorecard [Cricinfo]

. . . → Read More: Morkel kills Indian top order

He’s a “peaceable” man, as Dileep Premchandran says on Cricinfo, but is VVS Laxman the next Indian captain? I doubt it. But he does have the unenviable task of leading India against the Rest of South Africa in the only tour match before the Tests begin. Of course, that’s because Virender Sehwag was releived of his responsibilites as vice-captain during the ODIs.

But the thing to remember here would be that Rahul Dravid [Captaincy Record] is still injured. And while everyone wants to believe that he will be back by the time the first Test begins, what if he doesn’t? VVS Laxman would have to lead India in the Test (s).

He has been praised for his captaincy in domestic cricket, but this is a different ballgame altogether! The pressure of a Test, the world watching… not easy. To top it all, there are three former captains: Sourav Ganguly [Captaincy Record], Sachin . . . → Read More: Laxman as captain?

The recent drubbing of India in South Africa would qualify as the worst ever in recent memory. Normally, touring teams have managed at least one win. Although, the more recent ones under Sourav Ganguly had gotten the fans used to much more. Like winning. But that’s not the point. In true Indian sense, let me say “we competed”. Or did we?

I really think there’s no point in looking back at the matches and trying to figure out who’s fault it was that India lost. It’s pointless because it cannot change the result. What needs to be done is understand what India learned from this ignominous defeat. I think (actually, hope) there is a lot that the team learned.

The team cannot change at a whim: Irfan Pathan had some success as a No. 3 batsman in ODIs and then, was shunted down suddenly. Any explanations? If loss of form was the . . . → Read More: What did India learn?

When things are going wrong for you, they just go wrong all the way. The Indian team at this point must be wondering who in the world is conspiring against them that they are facing a new problem everyday of this tour.

First it was the injury to Virender Sehwag, then Munaf Patel and now Rahul Dravid. The first two may just get back in time to make some difference to the tour, but Dravid’s return in time seems difficult. Initial reports suggest that he’s out for about 3 weeks and that rules him out of the first Test. Not a good sign considering he was the only one showing any signs of coming to terms with the conditions.

And if that wasn’t enough, the replacement who is flying in is none other than VVS Laxman. The man not good enough to be in the first 15. To top it off, there is . . . → Read More: From bad to worse