Yeah, should have gambled more, was in SA favour. AB de Villiers seemed to be saying that.
India tour of South Africa.
- Thread starter zing
- Start date
Yeah, should have gambled more, was in SA favour. AB de Villiers seemed to be saying that.
What a match!! Awesome stuff. Nobody deserved to lose, so a fair result in the end.
To be fair to SA they had 2 batsmen left. Tahir who is of the Courtney Walsh variety and Morkel who can't run.
Safe and sensible choice imo
Safe and sensible choice imo
My God, SA keep raising that choker bar higher and higher.
but they don't need Morkel to run.
Yeah Zing's right. Philander should've gone for it...perhaps an over earlier. A bit of an anti climax of what was otherwise a great match.
With that swollen ankle of his I doubt he could have done much at all. I am surprised he was even slated to bat given the amount of swelling
Unchanged line-up for India. For SA, 2 changes for Durban. Should be a good test.
It's much better. They showed him doing some low intensity exercises, including jogging sideways and all that, earlier today. He could've come out there.
Seriously?? This was anti-choke. They were 146/6 and could have easily folded for 200 or so. They didn't. They were premier fast bowler down but did their best from available resources. Till Faf got out, they had every chance of winning it and they had plan for it. It is not ODI or T20 where tailenders will take risk to score 16 in 2 overs. Choking would have been to lose this match after Duminy got out.
Didn't know that. But all things considered I think it was the right choice from SA.
Faf's got 3 hundreds and 2 of those will go down as 2 of the finest in test history. Quite incredible.
Problem for SA was the Shammi over. He bowled short stuff throughout. So basically India said to them, up to you to hook and take a risk if you want to win.
Poor from both teams. Really expected Philander to try but can still understand considering what was to follow. Shocking from Dhoni and Co. to not even attack Steyn though. Real lack of balls. Ganguly would have gone for it.
Did not like it personally, as I wanted a contest, but in hindsight, I think perhaps a good decision by Dhoni. 16 off 2.3. One 4 and we'd have been done.
Loss would have been cruel to either team so I am glad it was draw in the end.
Speechless! Great Test match. Tough getting so close, but @DaleSteyn62 & @VDP_24 made the right call to close down shop. We move to Durbs
This is AB on twitter.
So, it wasn't team instructions? And Steyn did not like it.
This is AB on twitter.
So, it wasn't team instructions? And Steyn did not like it.
So Smith reiterates that.
It was Philander's decision to do what he did.
It was Philander's decision to do what he did.
Team was not facing the balls out there, Steyn and Philander were. Gotta leave it to players and trust them to make best decision for team. India were bowling wide and bouncers and had put ball in SA's court to try and win rather than keeping it on stumps and themselves trying to win. Imagine a SA player getting out and injured Morkel and Tahir to come with 8-10 balls remaining. I think it was right decision. Had India tried to win and kept it in stumps, we might have seen shots from Vernon and even Steyn.
Faf should've been man of the match, surely.
Some comments for the next test:
1) Faf should move up to #4. As good as Kallis has been, a time for transition, perhaps?
2) SA should drop Duminy and bring in Tsolekile as the specialist keeper. Because it is simply unfair as an opposition fan to see batting like that all the way down till #7.
3) Kyle Abbott is gong to come in for Morne Morkel is the word, I didn't think he was that impressive even though he took 7 wickets on debut.
4) Tahir's going to go, but for who? Peterson or a seamer?
1) Faf should move up to #4. As good as Kallis has been, a time for transition, perhaps?
2) SA should drop Duminy and bring in Tsolekile as the specialist keeper. Because it is simply unfair as an opposition fan to see batting like that all the way down till #7.
3) Kyle Abbott is gong to come in for Morne Morkel is the word, I didn't think he was that impressive even though he took 7 wickets on debut.
4) Tahir's going to go, but for who? Peterson or a seamer?
Definitely.
3 and 4 are most likely. 1st wont happen as Kallis bowling many overs was the reason this time. Don't think they will move him from 4th till he retires. 2nd is wishful thinking. They might change squad and bring in QdK instead
Had SA had 30 runs left with 3 overs then the draw was magnificent. But you need to avoid cognitive bias (look it up, interesting subject which I'm trying to implement in my life) because the here and now requires different actions.
Any Pakistani captain (from Imran Khan onwards - but not Misbah!) would have gone for the win. Had they not then this draw would almost feel like a loss. I know this is not one day or T20 but the rules of bat against ball are the same.
The SA crowd actually audibly booed the result. Not a huge boo, but noticeable nevertheless. That tells they thought it was on and losing the test at this point in the pursuit of winning from that position (cognitive bias) would have been more palatable.
It was delicate situation for them. India weren't trying to do anything proactive to win. I would say out of those 12 balls, at least 4-5 were either bouncers or too wide and were not scoring ones. They didn't take couple of singles, but it would have hardly changed scenario. Suddenly because Steyn got a juicy fulltoss on lost ball, they look only 8 away but game was over by then so nobody cared. The pitch also wasn't the kind where someone new can come in, especially tailender and smash it around. For SA, I think it was good in the end given India had better for most of the 4 days. Had Faf been around, they would have definitely gone for it. A loss because last 2-3 got out slogging after getting so close would have been a blow too hard to recover from in 2nd test. Now they go evens in Durban which is crucial.
Incredible match.
The chokers were back to their best.
India
India
Watching that, my dad and me came to the same conclusion. If it was us, we would have gone for the win and not settled for the draw.I think SA thought if they lost the match there is no way they would win the series, at best draw it. If they win, no way they would lose it. Draw and they could still win it or lose it. If it was a 3 match test series, they might have gone for it.
Are you sure about that?
It is a 2 match test series.
I don't think SA choked or didn't go for it.
Philander made the decision to secure the game on his own. Seems silly to attribute an individual decision to team tactics.
Philander made the decision to secure the game on his own. Seems silly to attribute an individual decision to team tactics.
I think it was silly that either him or Steyn were allowed to make that decision. Styen when walking out should have been told if securing the draw was the first priority or risking the loss for win.
Crickets an individual game, for all we know Steyn was told that and Philander ignored him. Steyn was visibly annoyed with what was going on, but what can be done if the batsmen is refusing to play and refusing to take singles?
Besides, I think its a little odd that all the Indians on here are having a go at the saffers for not trying to win. I thought India were equally as spineless. 1 wicket and you were looking at an injured Morkel and awful Tahir, but Dhoni was content to have his field back and his bowlers content not to threaten the stumps.
The great shame for a game that was so good is that both teams conspired to ruin it as a spectacle in the last 3 overs when all 3 results were still on.
The probability of us losing was much, much higher than that of SA's.
Philander's no mug with the bat, neither is Steyn.
If SA lost a wicket, they could still have gotten a draw. If India conceded a 4(a lot more likely with Philander at the crease) in that over, it was almost game over.
Philander's no mug with the bat, neither is Steyn.
If SA lost a wicket, they could still have gotten a draw. If India conceded a 4(a lot more likely with Philander at the crease) in that over, it was almost game over.
Of course, but it's ridiculous to seriously be annoyed with one teams lack of attempt at winning the game without mentioning, at least in passing, that the other team didn't try to win it either.
I think Dhoni could, perhaps should, have gambled as soon as Steyn got to the crease. Field up, slips in and attack the stumps for somewhere between 3-6 balls. If Steyn survives that (or does successfully go over the top) then go back to playing for the draw.
I think Dhoni could, perhaps should, have gambled as soon as Steyn got to the crease. Field up, slips in and attack the stumps for somewhere between 3-6 balls. If Steyn survives that (or does successfully go over the top) then go back to playing for the draw.
You are talking non sense. Any tail ender can be expected to see out 3 overs.
Is it possible that India could have taken 3 wickets in 18 balls? Yes. Is it probable? No
Is it possible that 16 runs can be scored in 18 balls? Yes. Is it probable? Yes
I have thought about it and Dhoni did the right thing in the third over. If Steyn even scores 4 runs in that over. 12 off 12 is too easy.
Is it possible that India could have taken 3 wickets in 18 balls? Yes. Is it probable? No
Is it possible that 16 runs can be scored in 18 balls? Yes. Is it probable? Yes
I have thought about it and Dhoni did the right thing in the third over. If Steyn even scores 4 runs in that over. 12 off 12 is too easy.
Philander didn't think well under pressure. If he backed Steyn to survive 6 balls of Shami, he should've taken the single on offer in the first ball off Zaheer. There's really no difference there. If anything, Shami's the better bowler.
I'm surprised Smith sent Steyn out and said "do what you/Philander want to". That is bizarre.
They should've given straightforward instructions.
I'm surprised Smith sent Steyn out and said "do what you/Philander want to". That is bizarre.
They should've given straightforward instructions.