Quote:
> I saw the first hour and the last 45 minutes or so, taking some time
> off to sleep in between.
Is there a Sop cast or a telecast of the game?
Quote:
> Towards the end of that first hour, RP had a couple of deliveries that
> kept very low, which Dhoni had to stop on the second bounce.
Looks like the pitch rolled out into a batting strip on day 2. A
hopeless wicket for the bowlers.
Quote:
> Not sure what to expect on day 3 or day 4. By day 5, the Chepauk pitch
> is often very difficult to bat on. ISTR a number of low fourth innings
> scores there over the last decade.
True. But it has never been this easy to bat on the first and second
days. The Chepauk of the 70's and 80's is history. But even in the
90's the ball used to bounce on day 1, have some carry and move off
the seam in the first 2/3 hours. This is an awful wicket. I am not
sure that it will crumble on day 5.
Quote:
> > Interested to see how India go in their innings. One never knows
> India tends to have a lot of trouble with South Africa, since the RSA
> attack is very disciplined in terms of bowling to its field, and the
> fielders are very good.
More so than Australia? I didn't get that feeling when I watched them
in their home series a year and half ago. I thought they really did
not bowl to their fields in the first and last tests. Their bowling
was otherwise good and the fielding too was generally good. But I
think Aussies are more disciplined and their bowling-fielding
combination is perhaps the sterner test of the batting side's
discipline.
Quote:
> Sooner rather than later, the Indian batsmen
> lose their patience and play a loose stroke. If RSA gets over 500, I
> expect India to struggle to save the follow-on.
On this wicket, I doubt it. Although it may perhaps start playing
quirky by lat tomorrow, I think its unlikely. This is a plumb wicket
and full of runs. India should be able to get 400 at least. And then
there is the problem of Spin - RSA does not have a high quality
spinner in the team that can exploit the wicket on day 4 afternoon and
beyond.
This wicket is a lot like the Calcutta wicket on which India and
Pakistan amassed runs. Too bad that none of our seamers will get any
help. We were just beginning to develop a decent seam attack.
Suresh K S