Ok ! My intentions are very honest in opening this thread cause I like
S.Africans and want to see India perform well against them at the home turf. 
:k:
Sorry Ajaz Bhai,
Ganguly got off the leash and scheduled to play this test.
I want to know if India will be giving Test Capd to some new comers in the wings. ?? just curious !!
india will win
southafrica has no chance
India will win, even with an out of form batting line-up...its still good enough against the current SA'n Bollwing attack.
hmmm...let me see...will india win?? i think that only kallis is more than enough to win matches for SA single handedly...and who do we have in indian team who is capable of performing against SA...and plz leave the cricket god out of it...he has completely failed the team...
Well S.Africans always approach their game plan with surgical precision
and I'm sure they have yet again a strategy to play the spinners, and bogg down the indian middle order (which is the only area that performs for india),,,
Kallis almost certain to play
Wisden Cricinfo staff
November 18, 2004
Kallis's side strain is a major worry for South Africa © Getty Images
Jacques Kallis appears certain to play in the first Test match against India, which starts in Kanpur on Saturday. There were fears that a side strain sustained during the tour game in Jaipur might rule him out, but he appears to have made a rapid recovery.
A report from the South African new agency, MWP, quoted Shane Jabaar, the team physiotherapist, as saying: "He has responded well to treatment and, unless something suddenly goes wrong, he's a pretty certain starter for Saturday."
Kallis is one of only four players with experience of Indian conditions, and in the absence of quality spinners in the South African line-up, his medium-pace bowling was expected to play a prominent role. But Jabaar insisted that it was too early to say whether he could turn his arm over effectively.
"Batting will be fine but whether he's able to play a full role as a bowler is yet to be determined," he said. "It might be that he's able to bowl later in the test. We'll continue treating him and monitoring his progress but he's responded well so far."
But while news of Kallis's recovery would undoubtedly have boosted morale, South Africa's preparations for the match were thrown slightly off course by a blown bus engine which delayed their arrival in Kanpur. The bus packed up ten minutes outside of Lucknow, the nearest airport to Kanpur, and the players had to wait a fair while before a replacement turned up.
Kallis' batting is still top notch but his bowling is on a decline since a while now. New SA coach Jennings is supposed to be a magician if you believe reports from SA media. But I just dont think they have enough class in their bowling to dimiss out of form indian batting. Even if they do, they are highly likely to fold meekly against Harbhajan, Kumble and Kartik.
going by the news coming out regarding the pitch, india might be going into the match with 3 spinners and for South Africa to tackle all these spinners would be something too much to ask. Also keep in mind the fact that they have some new faces in the team. but then we know that although s.africa doesn't has the "name" players but they should be able to make it up for that with hard working bunch of guys....anyway's it gonna come down to one thing..if india bats good they win the series eeasily otherwise we would see farce draws..
Can any one name some 'New Faces' coming out of India's camp.
It seems to me 2 spinners and Tendulkar as # 3 spinner is ample
rather than 3 full time spinners..
ummm..i don't think there's any new face in the indian team except the opener slot and the wicketkeeper..
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Nikema: *
India will win, even with an out of form batting line-up...its still good enough against the current SA'n Bollwing attack.
[/QUOTE]
Yeah , As Smith Sucks as a captain . But IMHO hmmm its gonna be a a tied one may be .
Hi All
I think India should win the series 1-0. If the tour match is any indication then SA will not be faring too well against the likes of kuble and harbhajan! Their second innings collapsed and they almost suffered an embarrasing defeat Vs Board President's XI!!
:D
1st Test: India v South Africa at Kanpur, 20-24 Nov 2004
Graeme Smith won the toss at Kanpur and had little hesitation in choosing to bat. The South Africans had two debutants in their line-up – Zander de Bruyn, a right-arm medium-fast bowler and a lower-middle-order batsman, and Thami Tsolikile, their wicketkeeper. This meant that Hashim Amla, who was widely expected to be in the team, was left out.
The only dilemma in the Indian camp was whether to play two spinners or three. The lack of grass on the pitch helped the think-tank solve that problem – Murali Kartik was in, and Irfan Pathan was out, which meant that Zaheer Khan would probably share the new ball with Sourav Ganguly.
The wicket was bare and completely devoid of grass, but the surface was firm and wasn't expected to crumble. It would certainly aid the spinners as the match went on, though, and by batting first, South Africa had ensured that they would get the best of the conditions.
Teams
India 1 Gautam Gambhir, 2 Virender Sehwag, 3 Rahul Dravid, 4 Sachin Tendulkar, 5 VVS Laxman, 6 Sourav Ganguly (capt), 7 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 8 Murali Kartik, 9 Anil Kumble, 10 Harbhajan Singh, 11 Zaheer Khan.
South Africa 1 Graeme Smith (capt), 2 Jacques Rudolph, 3 Boeta Dippenaar, 4 Jacques Kallis, 5 Martin van Jaarsveld, 6 Zander de Bruyn, 7 Thami Tsolekile (wk), 8 Shaun Pollock, 9 Andrew Hall, 10 Robin Peterson, 11 Makhaya Ntini.
SA 154/4 at tea...Kumble has got all the 4 wickets so far.
Ganguly opening bowling with Zaheer. What next for India? :eek:
Hall makes his mark](http://uk.cricinfo.com/link_to_database/ARCHIVE/CRICKET_NEWS/2004/NOV/106520_INDRSA2004-05_20NOV2004.html)
South Africa 230 for 4 (Hall 78, Dippenaar 46, Kumble 4-54) v India**
On the eve of this Test, the South Africans had been billed as huge underdogs who would succumb without a fight against the Indian spin. The first day of the two-Test series ran completely against that script, as Andrew Hall led South Africa’s resistance with a resolute unbeaten 78. That effort, supported by the rest of the top order, negated Anil Kumble’s four-wicket haul and ensured that South Africa ended the first day at Kanpur on a healthy 230 for 4.
Unlike many of the Australian top-order batsmen, who used their feet and were aggressive against the spinners, the South Africans mostly played from the crease, content to dab the ball into gaps for singles. The lack of pace in the pitch made it difficult for the batsmen to force the pace, and for the bowlers to prize out the wickets. On such a track, patience was the key for both batsmen and bowlers, and the player who was the hero of the day showed that quality in abundance.
In his ten previous Tests, Hall hadn’t batted above No. 6. Given the opportunity to open here, he showed all the qualities of a top-order batsman: he exhibited good technique against both pace and spin, and showed excellent temperament and shot-selection. On a pitch lacking in bounce, he pushed his front foot out, played with soft hands in defence but was completely assured when going for his strokes. India had one chance to dismiss him, but Kumble, at wide midwicket, made a mess of a chance when Hall swept one off Harbhajan Singh. Hall was on 55 then, and he made the Indians pay for the lapse.
For long periods today, the South Africans frustrated the opposition with stodgy defence. If India still managed to stay in the hunt, it was because of two bursts of wickets from Kumble just before the lunch and tea intervals.
The first of those two double-blows came after Graeme Smith and Hall had seen off much of the first session, adding 61 for the first wicket. As expected, run-scoring was the easiest early in the day, when the seamers were in operation. Zaheer Khan was incisive, but both batsmen tucked into Sourav Ganguly with ease. Kumble came into the attack in the tenth over, and first the runs dried up, then the wickets fell – Smith seemed to have played a defensive shot competently enough, with soft hands, but could watch in horror as the ball dribbled back onto the stumps. Obviously, those sitting in the South African dressing-room didn’t take notice, for Jacques Rudolph was out in exactly the same fashion later in the day.
When Martin van Jaarsveld was trapped in front by a quicker one immediately after Smith’s dismissal, India sensed a collapse, but Jacques Kallis and Hall scotched those hopes. The side strain which had made Kallis a doubtful starter here hampered his strokeplay somewhat, but it hardly discomfited him in defence, which was the cornerstone of his innings today. He struck just three fours in his 37, but his 85-run stand with Hall ensured that South Africa didn’t lose their way after losing a couple in quick succession.
Then, when Kumble did his double-strike act again just before tea, trapping Kallis on the sweep and dismissing Rudolph (154 for 4), Dippenaar joined Hall for another substantial partnership. The one South African batsman willing to use his feet against spin, Dippenaar played a few delightful strokes off the spinners. He got off the mark with a fluent cover-driven four off Kumble, and came down the pitch more than once to Harbhajan, playing with the turn and finding the gaps on the on side.
The Indian bowling was disappointing. Kumble ended up with four wickets, but he strayed down the leg side – much to the discomfort of Dinesh Karthik, who fumbled repeatedly behind the stumps – and was flattered by figures of 4 for 54. Murali Kartik, India’s hero in the Mumbai Test a couple of weeks ago, inexplicably bowled an over-the-wicket, outside-leg line, and hardly asked questions of the batsmen. Harbhajan would have had a couple of wickets in the bag with better support from the fielders, but on a slow, first-day pitch, none of the spinners threatened to run through the South African line-up.
In fact, the best bowler on view was Zaheer Khan. He ran in hard, and bowled a couple of testing spells with the old ball, reverse-swinging it and working up a lively pace. Hall, though, countered everything India threw at him, and with fine support from the rest of the top order, South Africa had a more-than-satisfactory day in the office.
man India still making those spinny wickets and then they say we got the no1 Crap spinner of the world :D
lol...ood luck to RSA
hey what r u guys saying....
GO SOUTH AFRICA!!!!!!!!!!
inshAllah South Africa will win...
Latest South Africa 434/6. Hall was eventually out for 163. This happens when you go into a match with part time bowlers opening your attack. Something seriously wrong with India's strategy. They seem obssesed with playing 7 batsmen, even though the strategy has obviously failed.
currently it looks pretty good for SA! if indian batsmen do not score well and at a quick pace, I see this match heading for a draw! unless the pitch shows wear n tear for the spinners to exploit!
:)