SA tour of India, Nov 14 - Dec 19

[meninblue]

India get to the close unscathed but have gotta go some to win this test now....the pressure piling on gambhir

India have won the T20 cup in 2024 and then the Champions Trophy in 2025. So LOI team is doing well. Problem is that Gauti got Shubman in T20i when much better T20 batsmen like Yashasvi is not even in squad.

In tests, he did drop non performers like Virat and Rohit, a step that no other indian coach would have taken. Credit to him there to win over the two players who had lot of PR and lobbying. Ashwin also retired from test mid series in Australia.

The negtives are: Historic whitewash (3-0) handed over by NZ in India. Till date the worst lsot in Indian test cricket history. However, his team combination as well as player selection is clueless. Maybe he is experimenting as we are now likely to get whitewashed by SA in thsi series. But not as bad as NZ loss as this is a 2 test series and SA are atleast the current WTC. But the home record for India in test udner Gauti was never seen before. A new thing in Indian test cricket.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Great Test for Marco Jansen so far. And now a new ball.

Handy Test bowling aveage of 22 he has.

There's his 5-fer.

[mikesiva]

India 201 all out

Jaiswal 58
Sundar 48

Jansen 6-48
Harmer 3-64

South Africa will bat again.

[andy]

SA effectively 314-0 with 2 days to go

[sussexpob]

Why are SA batting again?

[backfootpunch]

Why are SA batting again?

Bat india out the game with quick runs, let the pitch wear. Then give yourself 4 or more sessions to bowl them out

They can guarantee a series win since for some reason theres only 2 tests

[meninblue]

SA leading by 314. Declaration will happen just post the first session tomorrow as SA will be keen to grab a historic win, that too a whitewash.

[andy]

India get to the close unscathed but have gotta go some to win this test now....the pressure piling on gambhir

India have won the T20 cup in 2024 and then the Champions Trophy in 2025. So LOI team is doing well. Problem is that Gauti got Shubman in T20i when much better T20 batsmen like Yashasvi is not even in squad.

In tests, he did drop non performers like Virat and Rohit, a step that no other indian coach would have taken. Credit to him there to win over the two players who had lot of PR and lobbying. Ashwin also retired from test mid series in Australia.

The negtives are: Historic whitewash (3-0) handed over by NZ in India. Till date the worst lsot in Indian test cricket history. However, his team combination as well as player selection is clueless. Maybe he is experimenting as we are now likely to get whitewashed by SA in thsi series. But not as bad as NZ loss as this is a 2 test series and SA are atleast the current WTC. But the home record for India in test udner Gauti was never seen before. A new thing in Indian test cricket.

If India get whitewashed in this series surely he comes under huge pressure?

[Arthur Crabtree]

508 lead should be plenty.

SA making slow progress, by modern standards. Batting India out the series.

[Arthur Crabtree]

SA batting on!

Maybe assuming India will go for the win, no matter how hopeless.

[meninblue]

India get to the close unscathed but have gotta go some to win this test now....the pressure piling on gambhir

India have won the T20 cup in 2024 and then the Champions Trophy in 2025. So LOI team is doing well. Problem is that Gauti got Shubman in T20i when much better T20 batsmen like Yashasvi is not even in squad.

In tests, he did drop non performers like Virat and Rohit, a step that no other indian coach would have taken. Credit to him there to win over the two players who had lot of PR and lobbying. Ashwin also retired from test mid series in Australia.

The negtives are: Historic whitewash (3-0) handed over by NZ in India. Till date the worst lost in Indian test cricket history. However, his team combination as well as player selection is clueless. Maybe he is experimenting as we are now likely to get whitewashed by SA in thsi series. But not as bad as NZ loss as this is a 2 test series and SA are atleast the current WTC. But the home record for India in test udner Gauti was never seen before. A new thing in Indian test cricket.

If India get whitewashed in this series surely he comes under huge pressure?

LOI cricket wins:
World T20 Cup - 2024
Champions Trophy - 2025
Asia Cup (20 Overs) - 2025

The T20i team has perfromed excellently even considering that Shubman is pickec over Yashasvi. ODI team has also performed well in spite of some scope of improvement.

The real problem is test. Not developing players due to carrying passengers and amplified by other selecting blunders going through this series as well.

Tests:
India were well on track to qualify for WTC 2024 - 25 finals, but then NZ without Kane Willaimson adn Trent Boult whitewashed India in India. These loss of home matches points derailed India's quest for competing in WTC finals. Now SA whitewash of 0-2 is another major loss as home matche spoints are so crucial and relatively very easy to gain. So this WTC too I don't see any change form what had been last cycle.

However, from my understanding, Indian team does not has separate coaches for separate formats. So imo they will persist with Gauti till the end of his contract which is somewhere in the year 2027. Offcourse BCCI can terminate his contract before that as there will be some exit clause for both parties involved (BCCI and Gauti). 2027 ODI WC will also be the end of Rohit and Virat.

Further to this context:
(a)If India wins ICC WC 2027, BCCI may go for a separate coach for LOI (Gauti by extending his tenure) and separate coach for Tests as Team India has had a bad record overall and home record is at its worst.
(b)If India lose ICC WC 2027, then Gauti's contract will not be renewed in any format.

[meninblue]

508 lead should be plenty.

SA making slow progress, by modern standards. Batting India out the series.

Lead is 548 now. Even if we add runs India scores in this innings and what India are expected to score in first innings of next test that will be played, India won't make 548.

[mikesiva]

South Africa 260-5 declared

Stubbs 94
De Zorzi 49

Jadeja 4-62

Target 549

[meninblue]

Jaddu bowls Tristan Stubbs and SA have declared now at 260/5. Late declaration imo. Far too many. There was no need to have such a cushion of runs. Only if Team india could make use of the overs lost by SA by batting longer than required.

0-2 whitewash loading.

[meninblue]

Credit to Temba Bavuma. Kagiso Rabad and Keshav Maharaj are two of their main specialist bowlers who are missing due to injuries. Even in absence of Kagiso Rabada who is one of the top 3 test pace bowlers in recent times, he has managed to win test. Kagiso Rabada, Gerald Coetzee and Lungi Ngidi were the frontline pacers for SA. Now they have to do with Marco Jansen who has a upgrade in role due to injuries to other pacers. He has done remarkably well leading this pace attack. 5 wickets in 1st test and 6 fer in the first innings of this test would have pleased even the great bowler of the class of Kagiso Rabada.